More than 200,000 throng Taipei's streets for the largest-ever pride

More than 200,000 =P6-2$lFrFykozN15zyESqR5JS43sj9bxOaVmY-vtk%FHe3$sjmembers of the LGBT community and their supporters marched, paraded, and danced across downtown Taipei on Saturday.

Organizers said the parade, which was the first since Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage, was_09DFUiW*DXsyrzRBF=9RuN&SqF51Vs5GJ^ZCf=xYR@fzeG@tu the largest-ever in Asia.

Local entrepreneur and LGBT activist Jay Lin said0Dv4zn3ajt_kh7=FEw5BN*_DZGZ*gJ5S)%UN)5)XRSfc$gakZn the experience was “very memorable”.

He said walking down Zhongxiao East Road was amazing and cu$hS(&(QIKeqYCFG_p@$mWBklgQ97xRbjT8@_5iz!NGqyYXgBgompared it to his experience of walking down Fifth Avenue for WorldPride in New York earlier this year.

"These two streets represents the main arteries of th$f5ttPzD1oH3OEkBIhwv_nVCVawjjwB9H(O0qeRPAnGUmas-P+e city, and to be given the clearance to march is the strongest statement the cities can make to give the LGBTQ community the stamp of legitimacy."

Taiwan's 17th annual Taiwan Pride kickHLWx1FpP=L_y)b8A5Y6kEt*pjd4U=4Lvblt#hS^!4oAZsfsPTFed off with a Rainbow Market of more than 100 LGBT-friendly businesses and organizations at Taipei City Hall Plaza.

It ended 5.6km across the city outside the Presidential Office on Ketagalan Boulevf*(XiI@3kkm)xzhHERTFwTAjVRada=lZaVIfK4h8re^*)C0EZFard where performers—including gay singer Hush—performed. 

Some 180 different groups and 24 floats took part in the march, accordiKCqd0i)AR2@ag@tKJswep&i=6fHJi6D1*+g@)Qm)eh-rrqce78ng to organizers.

The parade was the landmark event in a month of L($Fse2cI6%3_g9WVwUYoA*Mhx#7CqqgyuHIJFa*HzuCRWARyZnGBT across Taipei. Hundreds attended screenings, exhibitions, and workshops throughout the month, including the country's first trans pride parade on Friday evening.

GagaOOLala’s float this year hosted the director and actors of web series, Handsome Stewardess. The romantic-comedy featuring a good-looking tomboy lesbian who starts a new life as a flight attendant.

Award-winning actress Xiao Man, who plays the stewardess, renowned director Zero ChoA6Jy+NMYk^EgDUL@SI%zY8jxkoD2z&5m_5FHUJY0K7Fri6$oj(u, and Kenny J. Kuo, who plays a gay best friend, all donned rainbow attire and greeted other marchers.

Pride

Gay singer-songwriter HUSH, performed at a concert to mark the end of the long parade azWS%s@2T&%A$u2LT5N_3(4PaAcbg$_jH_W!2A2uEdQ4a*I@V1across town.

As one of only a handful of Taiwan celebrities to come out publicly, HUSH, whose real nam!gwp3Vvvu_Sc^^gjlxa_*q+N5xFrew7Pnhu%h9IevCJ)L1B4yke is Chen Jia-Wei, on Friday urged LGBT Taiwanese to be brave and come out.

Pride this year, the first since Taiwan became the first c4WB4Gl$RyTk6cAPyKjRzP#n+uOub4Aub-D7dwmqLslL7mMf=C&ountry in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, saw an altered parade route.

Marchers startUR7nqg=ilUT=kjdp-82CLsy3MfE8z!pX#S4%Q8IyI4exENP$#Aed from Taipei City Hall Plaza and travelled along Yixian Road to Zhongxia East Road.

The parade then turned south to Renai Road before ending near the Presidential Palace at Ketagalan Boulevard where there will be a Rainbow Market with more than 1005ZUYiHQ5y&FH_$Uhv3&HWAF2Nm9ki%kJtvQnj@fH(Ghm6gK**R stalls.

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=L4i0I+M(L3OEJ4))-T6xPb7unGgk&LwR@rryJ!&4U+zZlDh2E in bringing about same-sex marriage.

For the first time, Taiwan Gay Family Rights Promotion Association will also hold the first Rainbo%l9DaaRNEt&isweRRn&2Yh)E7!x(z+6ewFRvKA%3pFk!dzBA%Kw Parent-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.

This year takes the theme "Together, Makex_%Q0Mev1V9rmD7u$kjjqyYHe9KHc3Mb26u3amS3gQ1-^0=Bnb Taiwan Better”.

The theme in Chinese means good neighbor.P-6=sX#VTU*dgiK!mEF9Cipn3dm#85TgHemVdS8HuyR$U_f!s) It was chosen to show that the LGBTQ community is everywhere in Taiwan and, like good neighbors, everyone should support one another.

Last year, more than 100,000 people took to the streets of Taipei for a pride parade thT3)%4ZR2IsiUMBb6_dN3lCn!fk-ABPDoV!!c^Y3yi6Tu&PGVqFat demanded marriage equality.

It came just a mcD_PYvLHPc_jEnnQ@6@VppoJMa4#vgBlL79J39okHE0f!b@Bvhonth before devastating referendum results showed the majority of Taiwan voters did not support same-sex marriage.

Despite the referendum result, pa_0ptW#TV5Z@2$)-nf=FnxYa9Q*feX+uL-VegYzlWOJu^(mf%ucrliament in May finally legalized same-sex marriage in line with a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that failing to do so was unconstitutional.

This year, ac9K69)$2ljJRz=l_ZzHrcgvMUJG^$&*-U%4+9HPiTKDd=jx#SyPcording to organizers, the LGBT rights movement has moved to the next stage and will fight against prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.