By Nick Baum
FRIDAY – 5/17/19
It’s a historic first for Asia, as Taiwan has become the first country in the most populous continent to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill was passed by lawmakers earlier this morning, and will go into effect May 24. Despite activists’ success, the effort itself to legalize same-sex marriage on the island has faced a history of setbacks.
Almost two years ago, the island’s Constitutional Court decided that marrying one of the same gender or sex was unconstitutional. Since then, the court gave Taiwanese Parliament two years to enact or amend same-sex marriage. Last November, a referendum resulted in 67% of voters rejecting same-sex marriage.
Despite its roadblocks, Taiwan has one of the largest LGBT communities in Asia. Hours before the bill passed, a large demonstration in favor of same-sex marriage stood outside the Parliament despite the pouring rain. Many suggest that this is a turning point in the LGBT community in Asia.
Sources and Pictures: CNN, Wikipedia, BBC
