LGBTQ RIGHTS / 150,000 join Taiwan Pride as organizers urge understanding

Taipei, Oct. 25 (CNA) Around 150,000 people attended Taiwan Pride on Saturday, with organizers and participants expressing hope that the parade would help build understanding amid a growing global backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The 23rd edition of the parade began Saturday afternoon outside Taipei City Hall, where exuberant participants gathered before splitting into two routes that looped through the capital's Xinyi and Da'an districts.

In an interview before the annual parade, Simon Tai (戴佑勳), chairperson of the Taiwan Rainbow Civil Action Association, told CNA this year's theme, "Beyond Links: More than Clicks," aimed to underscore how algorithms and online discourse shape public perceptions of gender issues.

He hopes that when people discuss LGBT+ issues online, they can strive to "truly understand differences and move past prejudice and fear of the unknown."

He also noted that over the past year, there has been a global backlash against DEI, spurred in part by U.S. President Donald Trump's second-term policies, with similar rollbacks emerging in parts of Europe.

Tai said such narratives have also affected how businesses in Taiwan approach gender-related issues and allocate resources.

Funding took a slight hit this year, he said, noting that some firms opted out compared with last year, including some Taiwan branches of multinational companies that cited cuts to DEI budgets.

Voices from participants

This year's turnout was lower than last year's 180,000, according to Tai.

Those who braved the rain included first-time participant Lady Gagita, a Filipino drag queen.

Jokingly calling the weather "homophobic," Lady Gagita said she enjoyed seeing colorful costumes and drag queens everywhere in the parade, praising the event for having "an overwhelming love."

The 32-year-old said the Philippines has a large LGBTQ+ community, but that the country's government is less than accepting.

"Unlike here in Taiwan, [where] there is already same-sex marriage and there are already laws that are protecting the basic rights of the gay community, in the Philippines, we don't have that," she said.

In 2019, Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in Asia to do so.

This is a milestone many Taiwanese people take pride in, including 30-year-old theater technician Ryu (啊攸).

"I started coming [to Taiwan Pride] when I was very young, I think I joined in the first or second year," Ryu said, adding that there is still room for improvement in LGBT+ rights in Taiwan despite years of progress since the first parade in 2003.

"Because of the internet, information now floods in instantly and it can feel like everyone is arguing, making it hard to slow down and really listen to others," she said, citing debates on issues such as surrogacy for same-sex couples and transgender rights.

In terms of the global backlash against DEI, Ryu, who told CNA she is bisexual, said it may be a good moment to assess the public's level of acceptance, "because if we push too quickly and trigger a backlash, that's not the outcome we want to see."