Thousands gather for colorful celebration at Taiwan Pride parade
Thousands have gathered on the streets of Taipei for the Taiwan Pride parade, one of Asia’s largest annual celebrations of inclusivity
Thousands gather for colorful celebration at Taiwan Pride parade
Show all 15Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Thousands gathered on the streets of Taipei on Saturday for the Taiwan Pride parade, one of Asia’s largest annual celebrations of inclusivity.
Attendees, many dressed in colorful costumes, walked waving flags and banners with messages of support for gender equality. Some hailed from across the region, from places like Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan.
Taiwan has built a reputation as one of Asia’s most gender-inclusive places. The island democracy in 2019 was the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage after a yearslong campaign by gay rights advocates.
Saturday’s parade overlapped with Halloween celebrations, with some attendees’ costumes pulling double duty for both events.
“More and more people come to participate in the parade every year,” said an attendee who only
wanted to use his first name, Daniel, and who wore a winged centaur costume and vampire teeth.
“Gender equality … is very important, especially in Asia where there are still many conservative countries,” he added. “Taiwan is relatively democratic and free, so everyone comes to Taiwan to participate in the parade for gender equality and speak up for equal rights.”
Nick Van Halderen, a drag performer from New Zealand who lives in Taipei, expressed excitement about reuniting with friends from across the region.
“I feel like after COVID, it’s just very special to have everyone come from overseas again,” Van Halderen said. “It still feels like quite a novelty.”
The Taiwan Pride parade began in 2003 with just 700 participants gathering in a park in central Taipei — most of them wearing face masks to avoid stigmatization.
Organizers of Saturday’s event said they hoped to create a safe space where everyone felt comfortable to express themselves.
___
Associated Press writer Simina Mistreanu contributed to this report.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.