#LoveWins, even in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s top judges in the Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of allowing same-sex marriage, making the island the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage and cementing its status as a beacon for LGBT rights.
The court found that the current laws, which states that only a man and a woman can marry, therefore preventing members of the same sex from marrying, violated their right to equality and were unconstitutional.
Following the ruling, the court said in a press release that “disallowing two persons of the same sex to marry, for the sake of safeguarding basic ethical orders” constituted a “different treatment” with “no rational basis.” The court concluded that “such different treatment is incompatible with the spirit and meaning of the right to equality” as protected by Taiwan’s constitution.
The parliament has two years to amend existing laws or pass new ones.
Taiwan, known for its liberal values, holds the biggest annual gay pride event (Taiwan Pride) in the region. In October 2015, attracted more than 78,000 participants, making it the largest gay pride event in East Asia.
The decision is undoubtedly a victory for Taiwan’s LGBT activists, who have fought for decades for marriage equality.
Sources: The Washington Post, BBC, Taiwan Pride / Featured image: AP.
