Chi Chia-wei gifts 'pen of equality' to encourage same-sex marriage

Taiwan’s renow00zzKglP-LxLJSfF!a%5qL$!mnbXVvKDTxlGvD&LtG!fWcHaltned LGBTI activist Chi Chia-wei has launched a campaign to encourage regional leaders to legalize same-sex marriage.

Chi Chia-wei will give a rexzvk2iq7*DUFpq^PZ7+-atm_r2EWHW#c8rpDlbqnyT-0fI^8FKplica of the pen president Tsai Ing-wen used to sign Taiwan’s historic legislation in May this year.

Taiwan became the first country it=TPk0zs4yFaK*tO-Jx5Ai*0+*&7PSe9fVl=Ann31PjJ_9LbFtn Asia to legalize same-sex marriage on 24 May after parliament passed a bill in line with a 2017 court ruling.

PnZ4NkC=@5)wBfG-)xW*g%A3=F*l&J5mP!QzbWd@t&cD7H3zR!nresident Tsai gifted Chi Chia-wei the pen she used to sign the bill to recognize his decades of campaigning for LGBTI rights.

Now, Chi Chia-wei an2wAn9V2R$k2*OYR+^@CxJcDKr*lmjKKni3JcGZUTOwnMGHH3(ud the has created six replicas and named them the ‘pen of equality’.

Chi Chia-Wei will gift the Pen of Equality to Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and VietXA76ObrD06hGn8YOJzV=q@dsiy6zlMZn6k&fBKQ0EtyHlxbCfNnam.

"My name is Chi Chia-wei and I have been committed to promoting same-sex marriage in Taiwan for the last 30 years" his0MX-&G2@e=-y*V1x(%fDyNd+(-+Odj=#e2cF-EozpInn*%-@(+ message to South Korea’s leader Moon Jae-in.

"I am presenting this to you in th^x7*VeE#Z&5P6xKaXw(HM76y!#ADBuRJ7HgXKE3-_fQ#lPu@8Ze hope that you will share in our ambition for marriage equality."

"We hope Taig^3MvUb1o7(d%FticYRa8AjcIoEAr#=HZ@=XBDcUG6s5kWiBfuwan’s progress in same-sex marriage can inspire other countries in Asia" Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said in a Facebook post.

Regional rights

After years of courtB-vy+HMCK=hq82Y7fKuS(jQA5G5Ekx_r#HEPMEQtH)RswMDx%_ hearings, debates in parliament, and heartbreaking referendums in November last year, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriages.

In the first month alone. 1,000 same-sex e_#^iJkf2QiuoJtVK%MUS!z5=LZ2FGZ-F$h0aDrFej&xAcY1sbcouples tied the knot.

Regionally, Thailand is the closest to equal marriage. A civil union bill drafted by the ruling Junta affords same-sex couples limited rights. But, local LGBTI rights actYCJnEYkupSLU7EF+6H^pS&PJ9P1L8u+yX1ewvE5=X9hwu$@1PMivists have slammed it for failing to introduce genuine equality.

A similar ‘civil partnerships’ bill is being debated by tu$)O7++Oc1Fvn-Q*w)ivNU%wO7q%Pxswa@dXbBM=UcWp(f2%hthe Philippines’ Congress.

Rights groups, meanwhile, have warned of deteriorat6sbyzr8xi%=*1MXYNU=eCoUsUu2ty(RWKWJAvl@Be17n0Q$bPjing LGBT rights in South Korea. 

Recent increased visibility of the LGBT community has sparked a backlash from conservative Christians. Many LGBT pride events have witnessed violent coun^caOw+MDG2swl)#d0Bde%x&5pcRm^8LBkN9fW0HD)Xx0SzmWs&ter-demonstrations from anti-LGBT groups.