Rainbow flag to grace Taipei city hall

News 2006-09-07 Rainbow flag to grace Taipei city hall Taipei shows support for gays Civic officials sponsoring a gay festival in Taipei, Taiwan, will hoist

Civic officials sponsoring a gay festival in Taipei, Taiwan, will hoist the rainbow flag September 17 above the city hall in what they term a first for an Asian city, the Taipei Times reports. The annual "LGBT Civil Rights Movement—Queer-friendly Taipei" has been hosted since 2000 by the city's Department of Civil Affairs, with an annual budget of about $30,000.

Yeh Jie-sheng, deputy chief of the department, said the city sponsors the event to stress its respect for minority groups and cultural diversity. "Conservative and religious groups have been criticizing the event, and we welcome different opinions. We will invite these groups this year to discuss issues of gay rights together," he told reporters last week at city hall.

Wang Ping, secretary-general of the Gender/Sexuality Rights Association in Taiwan, which is helping organize the festival, told the Times that events will include the flag-raising ceremony—the first of its kind in Asia—on the morning of September 17, followed by gay rights forums that afternoon in the city council chamber and an art exhibition later in the month.

A pride parade is planned for September 30, with a collective same-sex wedding ceremony immediately following. Local Christian groups have spread rumors that the city is sponsoring the nuptials. Officials deny this, saying the department will not promote same-sex marriage before it becomes legal.

Nelson Chen, chairman of Taiwan's Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, who received Yeh's blessing when he wed his partner last year in a public ceremony, praised the city's gestures to the gay community but resented attitudes he termed "hypocritical."

"Last year the department sent a flower basket to my wedding as a blessing. Now it says that it doesn't support gay marriage when confronted by conservative groups," he told the Times. (The Advocate)

Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter. Page 1 of 1

READ COMMENTS (0) MORE \ EMAIL PRINT

RECOMMEND

More Online Only

Commentary Progress in the Midwest
A city native and strong supporter of Kalamazoo's effort to keep an anti-discrimination law reflects on a hard-won campaign.

Commentary What Marriage in Maine Meant for Me

Dana Hernandez is a straight white married mother of two young children. But in campaigning for No on 1 and reporting Election Night outcomes for Advocate.com, defeat hit her like a ton of bricks.

Marriage Equality Terri White Stages Her Leather Encore

Last year, acclaimed stage performer Terri White was homeless and living in a public park. On Sunday, she and her partner held a leather-themed commitment ceremony onstage following her triumphant Broadway turn in Finian’s Rainbow.

Music Ghost Story

Out singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile discusses working with her childhood mentor, coming out publicly, and joining next year's Lilith Fair.

News View From Washington: GOP Upheaval

Now that the only pro-marriage equality candidate in New York's 23rd Congressional district, Republican Dede Scozzafava, has dropped out of the race, Tuesday's election holds any number of political lessons for both the GOP and the LGBT community.

Books Hot Sheet: Ditto Knocking 'Em Dead

This week might not bring anything to the screen other than a Boondock Saints sequel, but there are plenty of reasons to sit at home on the couch or head to your local concert venue.

News Features Sailor Speaks Out
Sailor Joseph Rocha endured years of hazing until he spoke out — then he was discharged for revealing his homosexuality. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old is itching to suit back up.

Music Rainbow High

Busy Broadway heartthrob, gay rights activist, and former Advocate coverboy Cheyenne Jackson chats about his Finian’s Rainbow revival, his politically charged cabaret CD, and laying around in his underpants (pic on page five).

Marriage Equality For Maine, The Time is Now
Money is on their side and the polls look optimistic, but volunteers fighting to preserve marriage equality in Maine are prepared for a fight to the finish.

Television Another Tough Broad

After being outed by a Nazi and locking lips with a hook-up three times in one episode, Christine Woods's tough-talking FBI agent Janis Hawk on ABC's FlashForward might just be prime time's best gay offering — who isn't in Glee club, that is.

Books In Sickness and in Health

Mary Cappello’s memoir Called Back takes readers on a white-knuckle journey through the experience of cancer treatment in America — especially disorienting to navigate as a woman and a lesbian.

Books An American Crime

Best-selling novelist Patricia Cornwell made headlines last week when she filed suit against a New York investment firm for losing $40 million of her money. But she'd much rather talk about her new book, hate-crimes legislation, and Angelina Jolie.

Comedy Gilded Lily

After conquering Broadway, movies, and television, out funny lady Lily Tomlin prepares for the final frontier — Las Vegas.

Entertainment News Ricky Martin, No Shirt and a Baby
Ricky Martin knows how to get the camera's attention. Take a look at the many pictures of Ricky uploaded to his Twitter account in the past three months, always shirtless, frequently carrying one (or both) of his babies.

Television Fresh Blood
With True Blood a bona-fide cultural phenomenon, producer Alan Ball offers tantalizing hints about what to expect on season 3.