International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.

It’s an extremely important day that we need to acknowledge. Women’s March Global has continued to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and will continue doing so given that there are still 73 countries around the world where homosexuality is illegal.

In the news:

In a historic and landmark ruling, Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.

After Taiwan’s constitutional court ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry, the Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by May 24.

On Friday, May 17 on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, Taiwan’s parliament ruled in favor.

Speaking to BBC News, Jennifer Lu, chief coordinator of rights group Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said, “I’m very surprised — but also very happy. It’s a very important moment in my life.”

“However, it’s still not full marriage rights; we still need to fight for co-adoption rights, and we are not sure about foreigner and Taiwanese marriage, and also gender equality education. It’s a very important moment, but we are going to keep on fighting. We are Taiwanese and we want this important value for our country, for our future,” she added.

There is still much more work to be done in Asia regarding LGBTQIA+ and women’s rights. In this region alone, we recently saw Brunei announce strict laws restricting gay sex. However, this is not to say that the historic rulings in India, Taiwan and many more to come is not without continuous advocacy and hard work.

Women’s March Global is working not only to educate people on the importance of these issues but also on how the oppression of our LGBTQIA+ family affects us all. All Oppression Is Connected.

Fighting for a world free of homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia is fighting for women’s human rights.

Follow our Women’s March Taiwan chapter on Instagram for recent updates and their ongoing work.