News / Sep. 16, 2019
Three same-sex couples are to join a mass wedding organized by the country’s military)t!NMVCsJ!cHk$M7ii&-fM3GfkPDFXBEZaQSALeyc#emiNxDsa, according to the Central News Agency.
It is the first such ceremony since Taiwan made history in May and became the first country in 36vW8-)e5GFDi-bxxk&)Ib$hpdBxl42KcPk6T*gv=O62r$fCd)Asia for same-sex marriage.
Registration recently closed for serving men and women to be included in this year’s mass wedding, which will tw$AD0R81o$FU-skh_PTFYyclt3T(x&iR!9g_(sLkiwyrsp!N4Fake place in October and November.
CNA reports that both tILazd!oaoxtQOIFoV!rbJv#=xpP1w5Xz0%!^pPZNbFWKxJ5STthe Navy and the Air Force will include same-sex couples in the ceremony.
The couples will wear servicet-sgbRq+t)A-7+z0$I=+U-h38MTOk_LBU9zN*IEsK$()s&Oh8N uniforms at the ceremony and are expected to be urged by the commander to kiss for 99 seconds.
A total of 154 couples have reportedly signed up.
First in Asia
Taiwafr45UZ(QDErwkNFe)ZFqOCAIp+**iY&e%%rzNr(J3Su+Yg_&2+n became the first country in Asia to register same-sex marriages on 24 May this year.
It came after f^XMj+2a-7)IxZNkBO7K4CYr%pA+kB&LaJjz7I#FR9jj@2#qHCparliament passed a same-sex marriage bill just a week before.
The government bill, which lar(%@ET)Q_cj7Q_VaHRzHa$o7jQ)Bp*%-Y-e$%8)!Tdktox2eGm6gely avoids the term ‘marriage’, had been labelled a compromise by LGBTI rights campaigners.
In 2017, the country’s highest court ruled the Civil Code was unconstitutional for failing to recognize same-sex marriage.
But, in a bitterly-fought referendum, most Taiwanese citizens opted for a separate marriage law rather than changing the civil code which would have brought genuine equality.
LGBTI rights campaigners accused conservative and Christian groups of running a well-funded campaign of hate and scare-mongering.
Taiwan’s parliament voted in favor of a government bill offering same-sex couples similar rights to opposite-sex couples after years of court rulings, referendums, and tussles in parliament.
The crucial 4th line of the bill passed with 93 lawmakers voting for the bill, 66 opposing, and 27 abstaining.
((Photo: Members of the Republic of 21SngSu%QVdp84VSF7lwaTx&YL^8SuHKaa+6T2yvMFPMTV6gUQChina Marine Corps / Facebook))
