25,000 Turn Out for Seventh Gay Pride in Taipei

Taipei, Taiwan, held its seventh annual Gay Pride on Saturday and 25,000 people showed up, Agence France Presse reports:

"Rainbow flags, balloons and placards were in abundance as participants gathered in a square outside the presidential office, with dress varying from period costumes to swimming trunks.' I hope the government will not only legalise same-sex unions but also allow us to adopt children,' said Nancy Chen, who pushed a stroller to highlight her call. But Chen admitted that 'it would take a few more years' for the general public to accept the idea before the legislation process can begin.' Even though Taiwan is becoming more open-minded towards gays, many still think that gay people can have romantic relationships but not something as serious as starting families,' she said. Taiwan's cabinet in 2003 drafted a controversial bill to legalise same-sex marriages and recognise the rights of homosexual couples to adopt children, the first in Asia to do so. However, the law has yet to be passed and some gay groups have criticised the bill as a ploy to woo voters."

About 1,000 turned out in Hong Kong for Gay Pride over the weekend as well.

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Gay and Lesbian Content Censored in Asia Oscar Re-Broadcast

Monday I posted a note from a reader that Lance Black's speech and other gay content in Sunday's Academy Awards presentation had been cut from broadcast in India.

Now, the AP reports the censorship took place on a much broader scale:

"The speeches by actor Sean Penn and writer Dustin Lance Black — who won Oscars for their work in 'Milk' — were shown in full during live broadcasts of the Oscars that were screened across Asia on Monday morning. But viewers who caught recorded telecasts in the evening on STAR, an Asian satellite TV service that says it reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries, noticed that the sound was removed whenever both men mentioned 'gay' or 'lesbian.' ... 'As a gay man, I am truly offended,' Pang Khee Teik, a prominent Malaysian arts commentator, wrote in a letter sent out to several media organizations. 'Stop censoring the words that describe who I am.' Pang said the move 'sent a message ... that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public's ears.' Users of Internet forums in Singapore and India also complained about the censored speeches. Jannie Poon, STAR's Hong Kong-based spokeswoman, stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has 'a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration.' Poon said she was not immediately aware that the speeches had been censored, but noted that STAR's preliminary ratings for the Oscar broadcasts indicated 'record-breaking' audiences, especially in India and Taiwan."

Viewers apparently saw Black and Penn speaking, but heard nothing coming from their sets.

Thousands Attend Gay Rights Parade in Taipei

LGBT folks in Taipei, Taiwan, held their sixth gay parade over the weekend.

Australia's The Age reports: "Braving showers on Saturday brought on by Typhoon Jangmi, an estimated 18,000 people - including representatives from gay rights groups in foreign countries - marched through the main streets of Taipei. The marchers displayed a 90-by-4.5-metre rainbow flag - the symbol of the gay rights movement - and waved placards to call for equal rights for gay people. Wang Ping, organiser of the march, which is in its ninth year, said the turn-out was bigger than 2007. 'Last year there were about 15,000. Today there were about 18,000, and I saw some very young people taking part,' she said. 'This shows that more and more homosexuals are daring to stand out and be themselves. But we hope this 'dare to be oneself' can turn into participation in the gay rights movements,' she said."

Last year's parade drew approximately 7,000 people according to reports. In 2006, Taipei's mayor Ma Ying-jeou raised a rainbow flag over city hall for the first time, declaring, "Tolerance is a necessary virtue for any world-class city. Homosexuality is a natural phenomenon that cannot be suppressed away nor spread beyond its natural bounds. Gay rights are a part of human rights. We want Taipei to be a multifaceted city filled with love, peace and tolerance."

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Gay Parade Draws Thousands in Taiwan

The fifth annual gay parade took place in Taipei, Taiwan over the weekend and organizers reported that ">the number of people participating jumped to 7,000 from last year's 2,000.

The AFP reports: "The parade reached its climax with a rally outside Taipei City Hall, where Taiwanese pop diva A-Mei was recognised as a goodwill ambassador by organisers for her support of the gay community. The singer, who performed some of her hit songs to the cheering crowd, endeared herself to the gay audience when she released a music video depicting a gay wedding scene several years ago. Despite the festive atmosphere, organisers hoped to get some serious messages across to the public."

Taiwan's parliament has been sitting on bills since 2003, one which would forbid discimination based on sexual orientation and another which would allow same-sex marriage and adoption, but little action has been taken. Organizers said they hoped the parade and rally would encourage lawmakers to move on the bills.

Gay rights supporters march in Taipei to demand respect [iht]
Thousands march in Taipei for gay rights [afp]