Last year, Taiwan's Constitutional Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and gave the government 2 years to amend existing laws to legalize marriage equality. However, anti-gay groups have proposed three referendum draft bills to ban both same-sex marriage and LGBTIQ equality being taught in Taiwanese schools. Accordingly, we are proceeding with litigation against these false charges and will produce videos to counter this misinformation and let equality wins.
Taiwanese LGBTIQ have long been discriminated against and deprived of marital rights and 498 other related rights. After years of battle, the lawyers at TAPCPR won the ruling of the Constitutional Court in favor of same-sex marriage. However, anti-gay groups seek to deprive the marital rights of same-sex couples through smear and misinformation campaigns. If the anti-gay groups succeed in passing the referenda this November, Taiwan's parliament could be reluctant to pass a marriage equality law.
Beyond fostering LGBTIQ acceptance in Taiwan, it is imperative that we use judicial means to safeguard marriage equality. TAPCPR's attorneys have filed many cases to stop the proceedings of the three referenda proposed by anti-gay groups and to declare it legally invalid even if such referenda pass. Our objective is to build a "firewall" in this referendum battle and ensure marriage equality can be realized and implemented in May 2019, without threat and interference from the anti-gay forces.
If the anti-gay referenda pass in November, the union of same-sex couples in Taiwan could be treated legally in an inferior way to heterosexual marriage. Moreover, if same-sex education is banned in schools, this could lead to more LGBTIQ students being bullied and discriminated against. We hope to stop these anti-gay referenda through litigation and social awareness campaigns. Once same-sex marriage is legalized in Taiwan, we plan to broaden our efforts for marriage equality elsewhere in Asia.
