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When Taiwanese pianist Huang Hsin-I and his fiancé Ramy Inocencio were discussing the arrangements for their wedding in Taiwan, Hsin-I warned Ramy that the beginning of August (their chosen date) was peak typhoon season. 

They also discussed how the country was overdue a large earthquake and whether they would be tempting fate by marrying during Ghost Month—a big no no in Taiwanese cultub2iiXC(1feOUqTdBz$UU)9h9gyzPB!Hh3Eok44bmKfv9f@E_7ure.

But, Hsin-I and his award-winning journalist fiancé were determin7&TCt0kL_V8gXOzgFskH*Su**CzYGrM+^KkZX=YZ97+KSza1UNed to wed in Taipei.

They wanted to celebrT4Gqk0lrnM#56IU(gp-UBVnb*gYPl*pcS%mByD+&aak%f2UyQ1ate Taiwan’s landmark move to recognize same-sex marriage earlier this year.

And, it was important for them to show solidarity with the Taiwanese people making xaM!+=z7R8ut8%#e6%csuBPUba8der(OHKUjb@E4Jc3L0yBw0qwaves for LGBTI rights in Asia.

But, their determination was rocked (literally) when one of the largest earthquakes to hit Taiwan in recent years woke them up at five in the morning just two days before their wedding ceremony was due to take place.

Things became more complicateop#WU@z6M4Az)w_s-&SfMRV&KcQ5%%rz@aQ@Pi^@3%W@C(NHd&d when they discovered Typhoon Lekima was also barreling towards the country.

More than 100 guests were scheduled to attend the wedding banquet at qQ1870SF$#x@=mI_O6h^E0mtw-L3h9O1G7TP+xA!Btja$hdR8cTaipei 101’s Ding Xian on the Saturday.

Force 9 winds also scuppered Ramy and Hsin-I’s meticulously planned day trip to Jiu Fen and the north coast for some of the more than 60 friends and family who had travelled to Taiwan from U6_DLrRqGAND@KnMk#Cheabs=Z_ZI)H4h&1Jd$hhanR2yTm+G_Singapore, the Philippines and New York to attend their wedding.

"There was a lot more stress and tension than we were expecting,” said Ramy. But, he said “a series of natural disasters befitting a screed1xrQIf$Vx3@ZE^K5ofj4EQZfq(*V0f*gnPlB*#B$D1BG^0i7fnplay couldn’t stop us”.

Hsin I, Ramy and their parents (Photo: Tyler Lyons)

"We just rolled with it"

Hsin-I, who's father is from Taoy4wHXy2Q)GK=DITKPy4^fVh2mU_X_e9frFZu^d8VL1RQx!EP4nEuan, met Ramy on Tinder in New York in 2015.

A couple of years later, they had been talking about their future together and the possibilities of starting a family. On a vitgFF5xiv02zB-a_mFY@&)^4x3OntIytvYoJfq0Ot8sL&G3zip7sit to Paris, Ramy popped the question.

In his vows on the wedding day, Ramy described Hsin-I as the "anchor to my kite”. He explained how Hsin-I grounded him and supported him. “That was how we got through all the disLe#36C&yHH4TWPd&M4&NiPY@$h28hbMT#xeZNryt9Gzuh&!8C3asters”, he said.

So, when thVkQ5O@cUwoaLX8_iz4*8Yn*yCZP=$&J-UhGM^MaCYEpve!kuc(e pair received panicked calls from Ding Xian on the night before the wedding explaining that Taipei 101 would be closed the following day due to the typhoon, Hsin-I diligently spoke to the venue, photographers, singers, and guests to rearrange the wedding for a day later.

Ramy did his part by keeping their guests entertained. “We didn’t fight, we just rolled with it” Ramy said o5ZLa9O9qLmO#yTXTy$jh@LIFNtyGD-1xKHW1HbZOszi*yk%UY7f the last-minute change of plans.

The pair had already had a nightmare day. They hastily rearranged a mountain and seaside day trip due to the bad weather. Luckily Hsin-I and his family pulled some strings to host their guests at a Hakka restauro@5d8L_Z^M-hRGdfHB))XQsWi5sGH5KyX^SsP%x3##cIE2L-Irant in Taoyuan, a nod to his family’s heritage. 

Hsin-I did consider hot springs as an alternEeoXLue=iwJG1G^hhBgpi4JzTA@LVtHopV7BEsMdfD2T%j0$kSative wet-weather activity. But, the pair thought all the guests seeing each other naked prior to the wedding might be a little “too close for comfort”.

Ramy X^wz@_2SrWWbE6ocwk$Z7DfG9_=VAq%m1FfwZ-LIolGX)XtOYJand Hisn-I said their visiting friends and family were super supportive of the last minute changes. They sent smiling selfies to them throughout the tumult. Virtually all of the guests were able to attend the rearranged ceremony.

Ramy and Hsin-I kiss outside Taipei 101 (Photo: Tyler Lyons)

The ceremony

As both of the grooms come from Asian families (Ramy’s parents are from the Philippines and Singapore) Ramy and Hsin-I wanted to show respect to their parents during the ceremony.

On the big day, the grooms’ respective parents walked their sons halMH=L5HF-jI$ZeHcbP1%vCWzJ7sfx@_4t3*1rEt30_zeI0)&t2Cfway down the aisle. The pair then walked the remaining way together.

There was also a mother’s dance to give them their time in the limeli^^vv(swyfjvhQM^AO_UNHwoQ+C0G)SVGcgxQ_Yt@8NqR^9pH@lght. Ramy explained that having a same-sex wedding was liberating, as there was no rule book to follow on how the ceremony should be.

The pair opted for traditional Taiwanese banquet-style seating. But, the celebrations started with cocktails. “Alcohol was very important for our guests” Ramy explained.AP@sCN#_Q0wWEJ^7(+&fdTu5t#=KqMcJaHh@=-u3LmF2Rg(A$7 

Hsin-I said his mother decided it was noNh5A*7uh@U+g61_1151zHQb((7HsNxKHBwkX1&Ywn92XuUK@MHt a traditional Taiwanese wedding. 

The ceremony was also a celebration of acceptance. Ramy was not sure whether to invite conservative family members from the Philippines and SingapoqN5#0r=m*s)ed%40&&zR!PL!$N!OVnUxGso8)pcxYmiZg$WNuMre. But, he decided that if he didn't, he may regret it later. They all came.

Hsin-I’s moDq0f4a1%r(y2VVX!h3UMcd6m6OV4Uua!$U!!htmH1i&DZwv9=zther told Ramy to no longer call her "Huang mama" but simply “Mama". Hsin-I’s godmother, who when they first met referred to Ramy as “that person”, now calls him “My Ramy”.

Ramy’s uncle from the Philippines, meanwhi%Ey6k!tzC)vVf+5_HxUK#Nin7NwUVqRaXPhXfJDoqvD-XE!S$Nle, made a point of personally welcoming Hsin-I to the family.

Hsin-I and Ramy kiss in front of a cake featuring their dog, Cooper. (Photo: Tyler Lyons)

"Brought joy to my heart"

Ramy and Hsin-I’s weddnFKdi-u=)_gai2m4jz02JWXjHusfm2kjRq$hz0eqz2n(XaSQc8ing was revolutionary in many ways. It was the first same-sex wedding at Ding Xian—prompting some of the staff to join in the celebrations by taking photos.

It also garnered a message of suppoJgE@t_sdWR_^tR!8wRC)e@AHcprpXuh13^M&oYIWaByrvgu=l*rt from President Tsai Ing-wen, who said the marriage “brought joy to my heart”.

"I wish the both of you can respect, love, forgive, help each other and be united by love forever” s2u==aQeI4zcDfzC+AHEdckw3fkr$5MsU#9Cggx_Yk1I#kxd%WAhe wrote in a letter to the pair.

ButgtUt5YFO7Hn@^ygUYA^4b+zYmzUA-E!Ef4s7XqVxvQAzYLzLYE more importantly, for Ramy, Hsin-I and their guests, it was a celebration of love.

"For people who aren’t exposed to the LGBT co*pxK5^G7UEQO!%$_odxbBLd$8VP9TlMSi5lLhnA__or3vKuMBXmmunity don’t always know how much love there can be until they see it” Ramy explained.

“But, when people realize there is soPc+2H0LXhZ@AGOF!+D%!XeSu&(kZ1C8h+4!d#$ze7nJ$Jx&vX2 much love in the room, it doesn’t matter if you're gay or straight”.

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With the intense eroticism and closeness, both men open up and feed into their desire. As their lust grows so does their toxic craving. The two become a relationship beyond the line while a mixture of emotions are drawn from the suffering Kijima.

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