Gay and lesbian groups in Taiwan have received a boost in their hopes to make their home the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, AFP reports.
Fish Huang and her partner You Ta-ting will, in August, become the first same-sex couple to receive blessing from Buddhist monks and nuns. Huang told AFP, “After being together for six years, we feel we need to make a life-long commitment to each other.”
Taiwan is considered one of the most culturally liberal societies in East Asia, making gay and lesbian groups hopeful that same-sex marriage will be legalized in the island soon. The cabinet drafted a bill in 2003 that would legalize same-sex marriage and allow homosexual couples to adopt children. President Ma Ying-jeou told AFP that public consensus was needed before the government could pass the law.
