Nearly 80,000 people joined Taiwan’s biggest gay pride march yet
By Micah Sulit
On Saturday, almost 80,000 people took to the streets of Taipei to join the city’s biggest gay pride march since the yearly event started 13 years ago.
Campaigners from various nations held up signs calling for marriage equality and marched to the sounds of car horns, brass bands and traditional Japanese drumming.
Political parties seized the opportunity to win favour with the LGBT sector, giving speeches pledging their support to the community.
Presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen, who is also the chair of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, posted a video on her Facebook page in support of marriage equality. Taiwan will hold its next presidential elections in January 2016.
https://instagram.com/p/9fs3-_iCNX/
Taiwan is known as one of the most gay-friendly countries in Asia; in July, thousands rallied to push for marriage equality. A gay marriage bill has been stalled in the Taiwanese Parliament, but if a pro-LGBT party wins the elections, Taiwan could well become the first Asian nation to achieve marriage equality.