Hundreds of global LGBT movers and shakers kick off pride at GaLa BFF Gala

At least 200 movers and shakers of the LGBT world gathered in downtown Taipei on Friday night to kick off the region's largest-ever pride cej$nv%w=E%qAwKDlcfO2Bl&j@+%6^ROvY$+p=ZI3@TKnwV)&AESlebrations.

The GALA BFF GALA event on 25 October at Xinyi Woolloomooloo attracted LGBT and LGBT-friendly professionals from around the world and across many @V2JNL8Jf99PFwv(lL)Az(FrFLryY$Hmis@=BuM0%d4BBAphSGindustries to enjoy a night of fine food, drinks, and networking.

Guests included qTcn!H*rdYKsq3wnTCqgeFTl^r9KHYdLzZl$TfHfcHfr!y(OWclegendary Hawaii-based producer Chris Lee and American author and entrepreneur Keith Ferrazzi.

GALA BFF is a place for socializing and connecting for the region’s LGBT people off the dance floorNzJtN4u8Mxeh9fo5YrNbq7Vp#$J&2g)cH1Cy$J1rf_#8^I1E*). The group holds monthly get-togethers, networking events, screenings, and talks.

"We are creating linkages and connections between businesses across disciplines" co-founder of GALA BFFhc0cNL#ANH7y5XHT3f&W@%S5X52NVDA@1t+B^)6Kbb#3R-$IvE, Jay Lin, told guests on Friday night.

"We want diversity, equality, and acceptance to be adopted by society in general, from cultural tastemakers to legiE%G)KTeyPjs5XVlPPM@oaZ1tSDGe@CbGmuqN7P4B*bxdh)tjidslative policymakers, from the boardroom, to the classroom, to the living room."

Lin also launched web series, Handsome Stewardess, a romantic-comedy featuring a good-loO%dk1F#f7HU=OetL$(uv*-n7ukd0^a3IP*%fepS+pLJ9uxssYfoking tomboy lesbian who starts a new life as a flight attendant.

Award-winning actress Xiao NxDJY5Eeaef7teEu@tLn&B!JkqH9a-@zaIxqVkYmLSthbLUeMNMan, who plays the stewardess, and director Zero Chou attended the party.

Lin also took the opportunity to announce his plan3Y97Q-nJL+Day@-TD^6nkq3g1W6ttZ3_9q39B^6zw!C774XU_5 for Taiwan's first LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

He hopes the chamber can allow LGBT-owned and LGBT-friendly businesses to partner up and promote one another's b!1vySR1#L-B%7KFFht5EM8HKcyVLV-J+J3THiNS7=@frLR#a!vusinesses. He also hopes to create a platform for businesses to laise with like-minded businesses around the world.

Pride

Organizers of the 17th annual Taiwan LGBT Pride parade expect more than 200,000—a record number—at the pridekdQhIKsMcIJBguvinw%w^H%wsp=E8qkueRNR#5jjRVif+PwGj5 parade scheduled to take place on 26 October.

The pride will be held just five months after Taiwan became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marpH*Sp1#xxO@7vthH9Gm2S3pDcYQRB0J&d4pc=Q^drRX3Sl@^Pfriages.

Gay sin&lyJF6!lALQ3P1jikSfxoK-MRAjIoF#CCkey+lVgdKTVuPPSh8ger-songwriter HUSH will be an ambassador for the landmark event.

As one of only a handful of Taiwan celebrities to come out publicly, HUSH, whose real name is Chen JiaoluNpUDI@mo%SO_RPj9CrrQatofAOv0z64DzZf&zfmFfKfNwkK-Wei, on Friday urged LGBT Taiwanese to be brave and come out.

Pride this year, the first since Taiwan becamhe&TcU6eM-qmUBeZv!TTfRMl87^)HLb8W=FDuSVinW_vCV2t3pe the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, sees an altered parade route.

Marchers will start from Taipei City (5u&28cC=R5vy5OOefEWAKkqf*3K7-VFfotUQ-v+$Ju)WOrbMRHall Plaza and travel along Yixian Road to Zhongxia East Road.

The parade will then turn south to Renai Road before ending near the Presidential Palacem#$zh&C=^4Hg$A=Oj)3H9Qfjst0@+a0IOoU79QZ0WNkENmem+7 at Ketagalan Boulevard where there will be a Rainbow Market with more than 100 stalls.

HUSH will also perform at Ketagalan Boulevard.

Press officer for Pride 2019, Benson Lee, said the new route was chosen to recognize the roles played by both Taipei City and the President’s Office in bringingA+^W!lw_at1KlEw-vwU(TtBbvFszEoYSqW7t%8*8++Rr8qtI%S about same-sex marriage.

For the first time, Taiwan Gay Family Rights Promotidwip^mL%%v&T+X2hs=rjIik_(jG3==FPPZkupi%oJ7Jy2WJxy9on Association will also hold the first Rainbow Parent-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.

This y7Gj(A9+V%Kax$U4Q5u^S(jg6XrBWMPMAvp)Ky@9*m5a2Q^)Xdiear takes the theme "Together, Make Taiwan Better”.

The theme in Chinese means good neighbor. It was chosen to show that the LGBTQ community is everywhere in Taiwan and, like good neighbors, everyoneSuSvWyd_N#M#P67tmhL=D(QIxyDi@NY6PD^f0@OuSw@yo9xF)g should support one another.

Last yea%K694gWd77wjJToWW!0gF6U3AUt1O_ZnrCC9lwgsq2wyX8oTUNr, more than 100,000 people took to the streets of Taipei for a pride parade that demanded marriage equality.

It cPDDxD1nMG+_O&8PePEz5l+2rY*^5$S(DHBCNfq5gjxWCz$Cvtrame just a month before devastating referendum results showed the majority of Taiwan voters did not support same-sex marriage.

Despite the referendum result, parliament in May finally legalized same-sex mw^vV(A2bkl_8napBj(WhdpT8k@YOr@R_NOXamSB1AQvImypBx0arriage in line with a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that failing to do so was unconstitutional.

This year, according to organizers, the LGBT rights movement has moved to the next stage and will fight again@8HDZ_-D5kx5%aNzix6thRFx7&kBpIl_Ee_Ktbpk(hjacU90&*st prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.