TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Following the success of the 2023 Pride March in Taipei, President Tsai Ing-wen took to Facebook on Saturday (Oct. 28) to praise the LGBTQ+ community in Taiwan for their freedom of rights. The president highlighted that the world envies Taiwan for allowing everyone to freely express love and start a family without fearing being judged for their differences.
However, the president's statement sparked a public backlash as people criticized the government for not extending the same rights to same-sex couples from China. This was deemed discriminatory by many due to the existing double standards.
To promote equality for all, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) expanded same-sex marriage to transnational couples in January in countries where gay marriage is not yet legalized, such as Hong Kong and Macau. However, couples in China were left out of this directive.
In response to the possibility of legalizing cross-strait same-sex marriage, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Jan Jyh-horng stated that scheduling opportunities could not be found due to differing legal measures. The main concern lies with the Chinese government, which has yet to approve same-sex marriage.
Jan has promised to fulfill this promise as soon as possible. Since the government opened the borders earlier this year, more than a dozen cross-strait same-sex couples have reunited in Taiwan.
Despite this, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups continue to question the government's position regarding the expansion of same-sex marriage rights. They claim that there is still an issue of legalization and a significant discrepancy in how transnational couples are treated and supported when they demand equal rights in marriage.
