LGBTQ RIGHTS/Taiwan floats join New York, San Francisco Pride parades

New York/San Francisco, June 28 (CNA) Taiwan-themed floats were part of the New York City (NYC) Pride March and the San Francisco (SF) Pride Parade on Sunday, featuring Taiwanese drag performers in New York and Taiwan's mascot Oh Bear in San Francisco.

At NYC Pride, the Taiwan float, themed around the uniquely Taiwanese "betel nut beauty" (檳榔西施), was curated by Taiwanese celebrity drag queen Nymphia Wind and featured other Taiwanese drag performers, including Tina Banana and Yolanda Mesula.

Speaking at a press event before the parade, Nymphia said the float combined themes of labor, local culture, energy and gender.

Nymphia Wind, the only Taiwanese contestant and first East Asian winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, said she has long incorporated Taiwanese elements into her performances because many people in Taiwan have grown up admiring foreign cultures while overlooking the beauty of their own.

Finding herself estranged from her own culture, she said, she hoped to rediscover Taiwan and showcase its beauty and diverse cultures through her costumes.

Also speaking at the press event, Tina Banana said that even though Taiwan has legalized same-sex marriage, Taiwanese society has yet to fully accept the LGBTQ+ community, making it all the more important for drag performers to continue being visible.

Yolanda Mesula echoed that sentiment, saying that it is important to keep showing up because fear of the community often stems from unfamiliarity.

The Taiwanese contingent in the New York procession included Tom Lee (李志強), head of Taiwan's representative office in New York, his wife, office staff, overseas Taiwanese, and students.

In a recent statement, the Ministry of Culture said the event would mark the 35th anniversary of the Taipei Cultural Center in New York, celebrating its role in connecting Taiwan and the American city through culture and shared values of openness.

Founded in 1970, one year after the Stonewall uprising, NYC Pride adopted the theme "For All of Us" this year, honoring Stonewall activist Marsha P. Johnson and emphasizing support for the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to the event's organizers.

Meanwhile, a Taiwan float debuted at the SF Pride Parade on Sunday, under the banner "Taiwan in SF," with the mascot Oh Bear leading the procession.

Sponsored by Taiwan's Tourism Administration and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, the float featured iconic Taiwanese foods, such as xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and bubble tea, and showcased endemic wildlife such as the Taiwan blue magpie and Taiwan leopard cat.

The Tourism Administration also set up a Taiwan tourism booth at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco.

David Chih-hsiang Wu (伍志翔), head of Taiwan's representative office in San Francisco, and he and his wife joined the parade for the first time since he took up the post.

Wu said in an interview that Taiwan is internationally recognized for its democracy, safety, freedom, openness, diversity, and inclusiveness. He invited visitors to experience the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage and what he described as its iconic Pride energy.

Taiwanese Americans for Equality also participated in the parade under the banner "Team Taiwan."

Tang Yun-wei (湯芸瑋), the group's marketing director, told CNA that many other participants enthusiastically greeted the group and expressed their support for Taiwan, encouraging the volunteers to continue promoting Taiwan through events like the Pride March.

Now in its 56th year, SF Pride adopted the theme "Resistance in Action!" as a "powerful call to stand up, speak out, and celebrate our community's resilience," according to the organizers.