TAIPEI, TAIWAN — (05-17-19) — The Taiwan Parliament has made history as it legalizes gay marriage. LGBT rights supporters were out in the rain in front of the parliament building in the capital celebrating the historic ruling.

Hundreds were celebrating the ruling while others embraced each other in tears of joy.

The historic event was made possible after Taiwan’s constitutional court ruled in 2017, that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry. The court gave the island two years to make necessary changes to the law.

The Taipei government’s bill did limit adoption rights in their ruling for same-sex couples but it passed by 66 to 27 votes. The majority of the votes came from lawmakers from the majority Democratic Progressive Party.

The two other bills were submitted by conservative lawmakers. One referred to partnerships as “same-sex family relationships” or “same-sex unions” rather than “marriages”. Both failed!

Taiwan Makes History as Parliament Legalizes Gay Marriage

The new gay marriage law will take effect after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen signs it into law.

Several same-sex activists told Reuters ahead of the vote that this was the only version they would accept.

“The [government]’s bill is already our bottom line, we won’t accept any more compromise,” Jennifer Lu, the chief co-coordinator of rights group Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan told Reuters news agency.

“What a tremendous victory for LGBT rights!” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Taiwan’s action today should sound a clarion call, kicking off a larger movement across Asia to ensure equality for LGBT people.” said Robertson.

However the opposition was on full display as Tseng Hsien-ying, from the Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation, told AFP news agency that the vote had “trampled on Taiwanese people’s expectations that a marriage and a family is formed by a man and a woman, a husband and a wife”.

However on Friday, President of the Republic of China Ms Tsai, said in a tweet that the island had taken “a big step towards true equality” with the vote.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

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