President Tsai supports marriage equality

Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) supports marriage equality and believes everyone is equal before love, Presidential Office spokesperson Alex Huang (黃重諺) said Thursday, as opponents of same-sex marriage staged a rally outside the Legislature to protest lawmakers reviewing contentious law amendments to legalize gay marriage.

More than 10,000 people took part in the protest, as the Legislature's Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee held a meeting to review proposed amendments to the law that would make gay marriage legal in Taiwan.

Supporters of gay marriage also staged their own rally nearby.

On Thursday afternoon, dozens of opponents of same-sex marriage stormed the Legislature building, demanding public hearings on the issue before lawmakers debate related draft amendments.

Commenting on the issue, Huang said President Tsai supports marriage equality and believes everyone should have the freedom to pursue love.

"We are also pleased to see more dialogue and tolerance in society, which will help establish a more comprehensive system," he said.

Asked about protesters entering the Legislature, Huang said that Taiwan is a democracy and all opinions should be listened to, adding that he respected the way they chose to express their opinion.

"We should all respect discussion in the Legislature and the legislative process," Huang said.

Meanwhile, he revealed that many people have called the Presidential Office to express their opposition to the legalization of same-sex marriage.

(By Sophia Yeh and Elaine Hou)ENDITEM/AW