Gay marriage supporters, opponents tohold rallies in Taipei

Want China Times, CNA 2013-11-29

A group of gay rights supporters hold a press conference at the gate of National
 Taiwan University to denounce the comments of philosphy professor Ko Chi-ming,
 who called homosexuals, people with cleft lips and disabled people "unnatural" on
a television program. (Photo/Yao Chihping)

Supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage and proposed changes to partnership rights are planning separate demonstrations in Taipei Saturday to voice their stances on the proposition.

A group opposed to gay marriage that refers to itself as the silent majority, and goes under the name The Happiness of the Next Generation Alliance, will organize a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office to oppose a draft amendment that could legalize same-sex marriage.

The alliance argues that allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children would encourage "sexual liberation," undermine traditional family values and confuse gender roles for children.

A like-minded group of students have called on 500 participants to wear yellow as a show of solidarity on the day.

Demonstrators on the other side of the debate, the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, which launched the amendment proposal, expects 300 people to gather in front of the Legislative Yuan building to make their case.

Organizers plan to arrange participants in the shape of the Chinese characters for "equal marriage rights."

The Civil Code amendment proposal was launched last month with more than one million signatures of support. The amendment would legalize same-sex marriage and allow married gay couples to adopt children.

It reached the Legislative Yuan early October and was sent to the Legislature's Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee for review Oct. 25.

For all the emotional discourse it has stirred up, the gay marriage proposal is not the only controversial amendment put forward by the civil partnership alliance.

Two other proposals seek to establish a civil partnership system and a system that would recognize multiple unrelated people as a family unit.

The former would allow two individuals of any gender to register as partners. Unlike marriage in Taiwan, a partnership would exempt both members from legal liability in the event of adultery and would allow one individual to end the partnership without needing the other's consent.

The multiple-person families system, meanwhile, would allow two or more people to legally register as family members. Both amendment proposals are still collecting signatures of support.

The proposed amendments have drawn strong criticism from Christian and other religious groups, but have gained the support of several big-name celebrities including singers A-mei and Jolin Tsai.

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Gay marriage debate leads thousands to rally in Taipei