Taiwan Marks Six Years of Same-Sex Marriage but 'Full Equality' Not Yet Reached

TaiwanPlus News

In 2019, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. The change was a big pull factor for New Zealander Nick van Halderen and his now-husband to settle in Taiwan, where he became a successful drag artist. Still, many in Taiwan still harbor prejudice against LGBTQ+ people and full equality remains elusive in various aspects.

Transcript

00:00Photo shoots, films and performing in public as his drag persona popcorn.

00:05New Zealander Nick Van Halderen never imagined this could be his life.

00:09Previously living in Japan with his partner Henry,

00:12Nick felt constrained by the country's conservative societal norms.

00:16He felt himself shrink back into the closet.

00:18But everything changed after a move to Taipei

00:21and a landmark change in the law, now six years ago.

00:25In a first for Asia, Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019

00:31following a constitutional court ruling in a decades-long fight by local activists.

00:36More than 500 eager couples went to the courthouse on the very first day

00:40for registrations under the new law.

00:43Among them, Nick and Henry.

00:45So it was quite like a spectacle, the whole thing.

00:48But just, yeah, it was like a big production line of couples getting married,

00:52kind of just moving through this clerk's office and, yeah,

00:56and everyone was happy and taking photos and there were balloons.

00:59Nick says living in a society that legally accepts his marriage

01:03brought a mental shift, psychological comfort and helpful legal documentation.

01:08It just made, afterwards our life became a lot easier,

01:11just like, like really basic, just like banking things and visa things

01:16and mortgage things and tax things.

01:18And he's found a place to thrive in Taipei's flourishing queer scene.

01:27Nick's story is a positive one on the personal level,

01:30but Taiwan, like other East Asian countries,

01:33remains socially conservative in many aspects.

01:36And not everyone welcomed the arrival of same-sex unions.

01:39Some religious groups in particular mobilised to campaign against legislation.

01:43In other words, legal change is one thing, social acceptance is another.

01:48A recent survey shows just over half of Taiwan's public support same-sex marriage,

01:53a number that dipped slightly in 2025,

01:55but which has grown overall over the past five years.

01:58It's within the family unit that the strongest prejudice exists.

02:02Only 58% of parents would accept their child being queer.

02:05Rates of acceptance are higher when it comes to having a colleague,

02:08political leader or teacher who is openly gay.

02:11Queer activist Shaun Du is trying to change these perspectives

02:15through education and visibility work.

02:17The situation is better now than like 10 years ago

02:23for LGBT to come out to their family members.

02:26But it's still not enough.

02:28We know that for parents, they still need more time to understand about LGBT issues

02:40and also to accept their LGBT children.

02:43And acceptance at home is not the only barrier.

02:46The fight for full equality continues in other areas.

02:49For example, lesbian couples are still barred from using IVF.

02:52Some restrictions remain on transnational marriages.

02:55And transgender people must undergo gender-affirming surgery

02:58before they can have their documents changed to reflect their gender identity.

03:02Right now, there are no active bills on LGBTQ plus rights in Taiwan's legislature.

03:08Something Du is pushing for.

03:10Yeah, I think we are on the road to equality, but it's not fully equality.

03:15Still, Taiwan remains one of the most liberal countries in Asia,

03:19with only Nepal and Thailand having recognised same-sex marriage.

03:23Nick believes Taiwan's recent history has something to do with its rapid improvement in rights.

03:28I think because it went through a period of martial law and suppression,

03:33it has this kind of push to it where people are,

03:36they really have to fight for democracy here and then fight for all these rights.

03:40So there's this kind of fierceness to the community here that is very,

03:44you can feel it as well.

03:45They kind of really want to change things and be a bit more pushy in a good way.

03:50Standing where many come to celebrate love and identity,

03:56Taiwan's rainbow crossing is more than just a photo opportunity.

04:00It's where the annual pride parade starts every year,

04:03and it's become a sign of what's been achieved and what's still ahead.

04:07The law change was a milestone,

04:09but the path to full equality continues with courage and visibility.

04:13Patrick Chen, Scott Huang, Rhys Ayres, and Lauren Padamore for Taiwan Plus.

Category

Transcript

Recommended