Taiwan Church News

3323 Edition

November 2 - 8, 2015

Church Ministry

2015 Taiwan LGBT Pride Urges Gender Equality In Asia

Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong

In Taiwan, 31st Oct 2015 is not only a date to commemorate the Reformation, but also a date to hold the first everTaiwan LGBT Parade. Urging gender equality, many native, Asian and international groups advocating LGBT rights takes on the streets on this date in Taipei.

Beside a carnival-like LGBT parade on Taipei street, multiple festivals and conference about LGBT rights are held,including the second Taiwan International Queer Film Festival, the biannual ILGA-Asia regional conference and an Asian LGBT Choral Festival as a warm ending of a series of LGBT activities on 31st Oct in Taipei. Except attending LGBT parade, many Christian communities or individuals, who are sympathetic to LGBT groups, support this "gender equality" movement through the publications or theological lectures to reflect LGBT issues.

Tong-Kwang Light House Presbyterian Church, a historically significant supporter of Taiwan LGBT movement,leads the crowd in the front row of 2015 Taiwan LGBT Pride. While the scenario of the True Light Gospel Church, marching firmly in a south-bound parade stretching with a rainbow flag plus a totem of Taiwan inside of it, it speaks out their strong missionary intention to stand by the LGBT people in Taiwan. In the parade, people can find many PCT pastors and evangelists take part in this event to show their support.

A graduate student, who is studying mass communication in Chang-Jung Christian University, remarks his reasonto attend this LGBT parade is that a video documentary on transgender issue would be submitted as a curriculum report. As a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, this CJCU student says he was against LGBT before, but now he has changed his position on this issue.

Many student groups from Christian universities, be they Catholic Fu-jen University or the Alethia Universityaffiliated with PCT, have attended this parade to show their support for LGBT in Taiwan. Political activists or MP candidates from the union of Green Party or Social Democratic Party also demonstrate their strong support for the family rights of LGBT in slogan: "You Cast One Vote, Build LGBT A Home".

Translated by Peter Wolfe