Will Taiwan Be The First In Asia To Legalise Same-Sex Marriage?

Many may have heard celebratory rumours of Taiwan potentially becoming the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, but those celebrations may have begun a bit prematurely. Late last year marriage equality seemed like a done deal, but the legislation has hit various roadblocks, like a particularly vocal, American-driven fundamentalist Christian bloc, a weaker civil partnership bill and hesitant executive politicians.

The party in power is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led by President Tsai Ing-Wen who defeated the Kuomintang in a landslide in the last election. As the more liberal of the two largest parties, the DPP has generally garnered the support of young people and minorities, but this has been a particularly tricky balance of late. Although younger constituents overwhelmingly support LGBTQI rights, conservative Christians are a minority in Taiwan that have historically supported the DPP. Over the issue of same-sex marriage, the interests of these two bases are opposed, and it seems that DPP politicians are reluctant to disappoint either group. 

But if any of the proposed changes in marriage law are to go through, now may be the time to strike. The electoral cost of angering the anti-same-sex marriage groups is growing with time as the next elections in 2018 draw closer. If these groups successfully allow DPP party members to continue dragging the issue out, it is possible that the dream of marriage equality for LQBTQI folks may be postponed for years to come.