Marriage Equality Movement

Public Interviews
#1

Hello Audrey, thank you for this interview opportunity. I’m in Taiwan on a research grant and am looking at the marriage equality movement. I’m grateful to hear your thoughts on this issue. I’m also part of a team that just started a bilingual LGBTQ blog called “Queerious Taiwan.” Queerious Taiwan is an ongoing project that aims to embrace and bridge various elements of the Taiwanese LGBT community: up-to-date news and vibrant pop culture, Chinese-language and English-language content, and amplifying the voices of all manner of people in the rainbow of queer Taiwan. What started as an inkling among friends discussing the need for more bilingual sources and news translation grew into a fully-fledged, cooperative effort to be the ones to fill that gap, with teams of contributors producing and translating posts celebrating the diversity of the people visiting and living in this island nation. We look forward to hearing from you!

  1. As a member of the transgender community, what do you think are the biggest challenges facing queer citizens in Taiwan?

  2. Generally speaking, what are your thoughts about the marriage equality movement in Taiwan?

a. Do you feel very strongly about the marriage equality issue in Taiwan?

  • What does it personally mean for you?
  • Are you involved in the movement?
  • From your view as a political figure here, what does it mean for Taiwan?
  1. Why do you think marriage equality is a “hot topic” now?

a. What about the current social and political climate has allowed the movement to gain momentum recently?

  1. Do you see any parallels or trends between the current marriage equality movement and other recent social movements in Taiwan (i.e. the Sunflower movement?) If so, how?

  2. What is the digital community’s role in this movement, and modern social movements in general?

  3. What are your views on changing the civil code to allow for same-sex marriage versus creating a special partnership law?

  4. What are your hopes and fears surrounding the marriage equality movement?

a. What result would you like to see?
b. Do you think marriage is the marker of equality for LGBTQ people?

  1. What do you hope to have happen regarding the Supreme Court debate that will take place on March 24th?

  2. What would it mean for Taiwan, domestically and internationally, if same-sex marriage is legalized?

  3. What other issues do you see Taiwan needing to tackle besides the marriage equality movement? What do you think comes after marriage equality?

a. What do you think the current environment is for transgender people in Taiwan?
b. What transgender rights or issues do you think need to be addressed?

  1. Do you have anything else that you would like to add?

Thank you so much!

#2
  1. I can’t presume to speak for queer citizens… However, I would quote from 2017 Review of the Second Reports of the Government of Taiwan on the Implementation of the International Human Rights Covenants, as addressed to the Government:

The Committee recommends Government provide for explicit legal recognition of their freely chosen gender identity, without unnecessary restrictions.

  1. I think the movement has a focus on equality, which I fully support; and a focus on marriage, which I don’t have an opinion on. For a more detailed conversation please see this link.

  2. I think it is strongly reflecting the freedom of speech and equality that we’re now enjoying.

  3. In the Sunflower movement, the protesters were good at social media mobilization, while the establishment much less so. In the current movement, all sides have reasonable mobilization experience and results in a much more sophisticated social composition.

  4. A digital community is a community formed around digital spaces. Some of them are “recursive” in the sense that how the community operates is consciously programmed by community participants. Such reflective programming usually amplifies the community’s agenda-setting power when interacting with nearby communities.

  5. It’s not just these two options; there may be a modified clause, or installing a special section in the civil code as well. I think the modified clause option makes sense but I’m willing to be convinced of better alternative.

  6. I would like us to come up with solutions that everyone can live with. I’m afraid I can’t speak for LGBTQ people in general.

  7. That it is covered in full and understood widely.

  8. Domestically it would effect certain adjustments of practicing related regulations. Internationally it would depend on exactly how it is passed, and the circumstances around passing it.

  9. See #1 for my answer. :slight_smile:

  10. Not at the moment. Thanks for the interview!