Taoyuan, TaiwanTwo women became the first military officers to marry their same-sex civilian partners at a mass military wedding in Taiwan on Friday, marking another landmark for LGBTQ+ rights in Asia.
The island’s Defence Ministry called it an “open and progressive” move and gave its blessings to all 188 couples married during the annual mass wedding in Taiwan, considered a beacon of liberalism in Asia.
“I am hoping to boost the visibility of homosexuals so that people understand we are also just part of everyday life,” said major Wang Wi, who cried after receiving her marriage certificate at the ceremony in the city of Taoyuan.
Taiwan’s government last year became the first to legalize same-sex marriage in Asia, a part of the world where homosexuality remains illegal in many countries. But the island remains divided over other related issues such as same-sex parenting, while gay couples are only allowed to marry foreigners from countries where same-sex marriage is also legal.
Source: Same sex couples marry in mass military wedding — a first for Taiwan’s armed forces
