About 100k people rally against same-sex marriage bill in Taiwan

Almost a hundred thousand people have flocked to the streets of Taiwan’s capital in protest at the introduction of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the island country.

On Saturday, some 100,000 demonstrators gathered in front of the presidential office in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, in opposition to a proposed amendment to the country’s civil code that would make same-sex marriage legal.

“We need to show more respect to children’s human rights, rather than depriving them of the right to their own father and mother,” a student protester said, adding that allowing same-sex marriage would affect the rights of the next generation.

Chu Wu-hsien, the president of the Religious Development Foundation in Taiwan, who was among the demonstrators, said he was in favor of laws to protect the rights of same-sex couples but opposed to the changing of the civil code.

“We resolutely oppose putting this kind of homosexuality or same-sex marriages into our civil code regulations. But, of course we respect their existence, so we are considering to let the legislature to establish a specific law to regulate and guarantee their rights,” he said.

A dozen people in favor of same-sex marriage also held a counter-demonstration, with police trying to keep the two groups apart.

If the bill is passed, Taiwan would become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.

Both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party under President Tsai Ing-wen, and the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have same-sex marriage bills before the national legislature.