Taiwan Says No to Same-Sex Marriage

After a long battle, Taiwan has voted “no” in a national referendum on same-sex marriage, the BBC reports.

In May of last year, the small island country became the first in Asia to rule in favour of same-sex marriage. LGBT+ advocates had hoped the ruling would become law in Taiwan by the end of 2017, but the legislation faced several roadblocks. Religious groups successfully petitioned for a referendum on the issue, which was now returned with a “no” vote.

“It’s a bitter blow and a step backwards for human rights in Taiwan,” said Amnesty International Taiwan’s Acting Director, Annie Huang.

“However, despite this setback, we remain confident that love and equality will ultimately prevail.

“(This does not change) the need to provide legal recognition to same-sex unions… (but it does) cast a shadow on how that will be implemented.”

It is reported that US Evangelicals flooded Taiwan ahead of the vote and viciously campaigned against the LGBT+ community.

“Their materials are often carbon copies of the same messaging and scare tactics debunked and defeated in the US, Ireland, Australia, and elsewhere,” said Taiwanese marriage campaigner Jennifer Lu.

“They’re trying to use fear to divide society, but their fear-mongering won’t work because Taiwanese society is rooted in mutual respect.”

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