Taiwan Activists Frame Same-Sex Marriage as a Sign of Democratic Strength

Taiwan Activists Frame Same-Sex Marriage as a Sign of Democratic Strength
Same-sex marriage supporters cheer after a Constitutional Court ruling, Taipei, Taiwan, May 24, 2017 (AP photo by Chiang Ying-ying).

Editor’s Note: This article is the first in an ongoing WPR series on LGBT rights and discrimination in various countries around the world.

In late May, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage in the country’s civil code was unconstitutional. As Buzzfeed reports, the ruling says that permitting same-sex marriage would contribute to a “stable society.” It ordered the government to change the law within two years, making it likely that Taiwan will become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. In an email interview, Jens Damm, associate professor at the Graduate Institute of Taiwan Studies at Chang Jung Christian University, describes the domestic debate over the law and LGBT rights in general.

WPR: What is the current level of acceptance for LGBT people in Taiwan, and how has this evolved in recent years?

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to WPR’s fully searchable library of 16,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news and analysis from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • The Weekly Wrap-Up email, with highlights of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review