Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou raised a rainbow flag over City Hall on Sunday for the first time. This is the gayest motion by a public official in that country since the President of Taiwan, Chen shui-bian, compared U.S.-Taiwan relations to Brokeback Mountain.
The flag was given to Ma by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. At Sunday's ceremony, Ma said: “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.”
And in a move sure to both further piss off China and prove to the world that in taking on the social traditions across the Pacific, their stereotypical nuances will not be left behind, “the crowds danced, waving rainbow-colored pompoms in a routine set to ‘Go West' by the Village People.”
All kidding aside, we applaud Ma's actions and wish Taiwan a very gay Pride.
Ma Attends Gay Rights Event [taipei times]
