COVID-free Taiwan hosts largest in-person Pride since the start of the pandemic
People seen dancing on a rainbow decorated vehicle during the 2020 Taiwan pride parade. (Hsiuwen Liu/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)
Taiwan, which has had no new COVID-19 infections in more than 200 days, hosted the largest in-person Pride since the start of the pandemic drawing 130,000 people.
On Saturday (October 31) Taiwan celebrated both the progress it has made towards equality and its incredible success in fighting COVID-19.
There was widespread jubilation in Taiwan, and across the world, when the country legalised same-sex marriage in May 2019, becoming the first nation in Asia to do so.
That vote came two years after Taiwan’s top court ruled that defining marriage as being between only a man and a woman was unconstitutional.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the country has seen just 555 infections and seven deaths, and in the last 200 days there have been no new infections.
This meant that the LGBT+ community in Taiwan were able to celebrate Pride in person in 2020, unlike many other countries across the globe.
Activists promoting sex positivity seen waving rainbow flags during the 2020 Taiwan pride parade.
(Hsiuwen Liu/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)
One rainbow mask-wearing attendee, 32-year-old bank worker Chen Wei-chun, told Reuters: “Taiwan has done a fantastic job at both equality and pandemic control. That makes us proud.”
President Tsai Ing-wen marked the Pride parade in Taipei, which drew crowds of more than 130,000 people, by writing on Facebook: “Today’s key words are love, tolerance and a better Taiwan.
“Let’s work hard to make them the key words for everyday.”
Activists promoting sexual rights for people with disabilities seen at the 2020 Taiwan pride parade. (Hsiuwen Liu/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)
This week, two lesbian couples tied the knot in a mass military wedding in Taiwan for the first time since the country legalised same-sex marriage.
Major Wang Yi and Yumi Meng wed on Friday (30 October) as part of the mass wedding, both wearing rainbow wristbands, alongside Lieutenant Chen Ying-hsuan and Li Li-chen.
The two same-sex couples were among 188 couples who tied the knot in the enormous marriage ceremony, which sees couples involved in the country’s army, navy and air force exchanging vows.
