Taiwan is expected to become the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriages following a likely decision to present this proposal before a parliamentary committee, reports CNN. 
 
Taiwan has a large gay community and its annual gay pride parade is said to be the biggest in Asia. 
 
It is one of the most progressive places in Asia in terms of safeguarding and promoting LGBT rights, giving legal status to homosexuality and permitting sex change operations. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m sure gay marriage will be legalised soon,&quot; said Chang, 45, who runs one of Taipei&#39;s most famous gay bars, Dalida, in the heart of the city&#39;s gay village. 
 
With the Liberal Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in power, expectations are high that Taiwan will become the first place in Asia to permit same-sex marriage. 
 
Tsai Ing-wen who was sworn in as Taiwan&#39;s first female President in May this year, has repeatedly voiced her support for sexual equality and LGBT rights. 
 
However, homosexuality is still controversial with the older generation, and gay marriage is opposed by politically influential social conservative and Christian groups. 
 
Previously, a bill raised to legalise same sex marriage in 2012 failed in the parliament and Yu Mei-Nu, the DPP legislator who proposed the last bill, says she is preparing to try again. She expects to present the bill later this year.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Taiwan has a large gay community and its annual gay pride parade is said to be the biggest in Asia

Taiwan is expected to become the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriages following a likely decision to present this proposal before a parliamentary committee, reports CNN. Taiwan has a large gay community and its annual gay pride parade is said to be the biggest in Asia. It is one of the most progressive places in Asia in terms of safeguarding and promoting LGBT rights, giving legal status to homosexuality and permitting sex change operations. "I'm sure gay marriage will be legalised soon," said Chang, 45, who runs one of Taipei's most famous gay bars, Dalida, in the heart of the city's gay village. With the Liberal Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in power, expectations are high that Taiwan will become the first place in Asia to permit same-sex marriage. Tsai Ing-wen who was sworn in as Taiwan's first female President in May this year, has repeatedly voiced her support for sexual equality and LGBT rights. However, homosexuality is still controversial with the older generation, and gay marriage is opposed by politically influential social conservative and Christian groups. Previously, a bill raised to legalise same sex marriage in 2012 failed in the parliament and Yu Mei-Nu, the DPP legislator who proposed the last bill, says she is preparing to try again. She expects to present the bill later this year. (ANI)

Taiwan may become the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage

Thousands of Australians marched at same-sex marriage rallies across the country today, calling on whichever party wins a July 2 national election to quickly introduce same-sex marriage laws. 
 
Conservative Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull supports same-sex marriage and has pledged a public vote on the issue before the end of 2016. 
 
The Labour opposition will skip a public vote and introduce a bill to parliament within 100 days if it wins the election. 
 
Opinion polls say Turnbull&#39;s Conservative coalition and Labour are neck-and-neck ahead of the election. 
 
Protesters in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth marched carrying rainbow flags and signs which read &quot;Equality now&quot;. 
 
Some dressed up in costumes of former prime minister Tony Abbott, an opponent of same-sex marriage, who Turnbull ousted in a party room coup last September. 
 
Openly-gay Labour candidate Pat O&#39;Neill, who marched in Brisbane, said the election will give the gay community a &quot;voice at the ballot box&quot;, reported Australian Associated Press (AAP). 
 
Greens senator Larissa Waters told the crowd a public vote was a waste of time. &quot;It&#39;s not going to be binding on their (government) members - what a joke,&quot; said Waters, reported AAP. 
 
Australia has been criticised by international human rights groups over its slowness to act on same-sex marriage. Several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, France, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa, have already amended their marriage laws to recognise same-sex unions. 
 
Turnbull, considered a moderate, brushed off criticism from conservatives to become the first sitting prime minister to attend Sydney&#39;s annual gay Mardi Gras parade in March. 
 
Australia has seen a revolving door of political leadership in recent years. If Turnbull loses on July 2, the change in prime minister would be the fifth since 2010. 
 
(Reuters)

The rally-goers demand that whichever party wins the July 2 national election should quickly introduce same-sex marriage laws

Thousands of Australians marched at same-sex marriage rallies across the country today, calling on whichever party wins a July 2 national election to quickly introduce same-sex marriage laws. Conservative Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull supports same-sex marriage and has pledged a public vote on the issue before the end of 2016. The Labour opposition will skip a public vote and introduce a bill to parliament within 100 days if it wins the election. Opinion polls say Turnbull's Conservative coalition and Labour are neck-and-neck ahead of the election. Protesters in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth marched carrying rainbow flags and signs which read "Equality now". Some dressed up in costumes of former prime minister Tony Abbott, an opponent of same-sex marriage, who Turnbull ousted in a party room coup last September. Openly-gay Labour candidate Pat O'Neill, who marched in Brisbane, said the election will give the gay community a "voice at the ballot box", reported Australian Associated Press (AAP). Greens senator Larissa Waters told the crowd a public vote was a waste of time. "It's not going to be binding on their (government) members - what a joke," said Waters, reported AAP. Australia has been criticised by international human rights groups over its slowness to act on same-sex marriage. Several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, France, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa, have already amended their marriage laws to recognise same-sex unions. Turnbull, considered a moderate, brushed off criticism from conservatives to become the first sitting prime minister to attend Sydney's annual gay Mardi Gras parade in March. Australia has seen a revolving door of political leadership in recent years. If Turnbull loses on July 2, the change in prime minister would be the fifth since 2010. (Reuters)

Thousands rally in Australia for same-sex marriage

Australia&#39;s Prime Minister insisted today a referendum on legalising same-sex marriage will be held this year if his government is re-elected despite the Labor opposition calling it &quot;a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia&quot;. 
 
The country holds elections on July 2 with the latest opinion poll showing the ruling Liberal-led coalition and Labour neck-and-neck. 
 
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is well-known for his support of gay marriage, is in favour of a referendum on the issue instead of a parliamentary vote. 
 
But Labor has hardened its language against a public vote, in what commentators said was a strategic move to set up the issue as a clear choice on polling day. 
 
&quot;We have a very clear policy which is that every Australian will get a vote on the subject,&quot; Turnbull, the first sitting Australian leader to attend the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, told reporters. 
 
&quot;Of course, if we are successful on July 2, then I have every expectation that the parliament will swiftly legislate for a plebiscite and a plebiscite will be held shortly after parliament resumes, which I would assume to be in August. 
 
&quot;So I would hope that the plebiscite could be held before the end of the year.&quot; 
 
Labor has pledged to hold a parliamentary vote to change the Marriage Act within 100 days if it wins office, and warned that allowing the public to decide risked exposing underlying homophobia. 
 
It has suggested a plebiscite could unleash hateful advertising and expose children of gay parents to negative messages. 
 
&quot;In modern Australia, no one should have to justify their sexuality or their love, to anyone else,&quot; Labor leader Bill Shorten said at Labor&#39;s official election campaign launch on Sunday. 
 
&quot;And instead of sitting in judgement, instead of providing a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia, we will gift every Australian an equal right in respect of love. Nothing less.&quot; 
 
Australia is seen as lagging behind a growing number of countries on marriage reform and popular support for change is high. 
 
Same-sex couples can have civil unions or register their relationships in most states across Australia, but the government does not consider them married under national law. 
 
The issue is shaping up as a key election issue, along with economic management, immigration, and climate change, in polls too close to call. 
 
A Newspoll in The Australian broadsheet today showed the outcome was on a knife edge with the Liberals and Labor both locked at 50-50 on a two-party basis. 
 
The poll of 1,805 people from June 16-19 has Turnbull favoured as the better Prime Minister on 46 per cent to Shorten&#39;s 31 per cent, but neither of them polled well on performance satisfaction. 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

His opposition called it 'a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia'

Australia's Prime Minister insisted today a referendum on legalising same-sex marriage will be held this year if his government is re-elected despite the Labor opposition calling it "a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia". The country holds elections on July 2 with the latest opinion poll showing the ruling Liberal-led coalition and Labour neck-and-neck. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is well-known for his support of gay marriage, is in favour of a referendum on the issue instead of a parliamentary vote. But Labor has hardened its language against a public vote, in what commentators said was a strategic move to set up the issue as a clear choice on polling day. "We have a very clear policy which is that every Australian will get a vote on the subject," Turnbull, the first sitting Australian leader to attend the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, told reporters. "Of course, if we are successful on July 2, then I have every expectation that the parliament will swiftly legislate for a plebiscite and a plebiscite will be held shortly after parliament resumes, which I would assume to be in August. "So I would hope that the plebiscite could be held before the end of the year." Labor has pledged to hold a parliamentary vote to change the Marriage Act within 100 days if it wins office, and warned that allowing the public to decide risked exposing underlying homophobia. It has suggested a plebiscite could unleash hateful advertising and expose children of gay parents to negative messages. "In modern Australia, no one should have to justify their sexuality or their love, to anyone else," Labor leader Bill Shorten said at Labor's official election campaign launch on Sunday. "And instead of sitting in judgement, instead of providing a taxpayer-funded platform for homophobia, we will gift every Australian an equal right in respect of love. Nothing less." Australia is seen as lagging behind a growing number of countries on marriage reform and popular support for change is high. Same-sex couples can have civil unions or register their relationships in most states across Australia, but the government does not consider them married under national law. The issue is shaping up as a key election issue, along with economic management, immigration, and climate change, in polls too close to call. A Newspoll in The Australian broadsheet today showed the outcome was on a knife edge with the Liberals and Labor both locked at 50-50 on a two-party basis. The poll of 1,805 people from June 16-19 has Turnbull favoured as the better Prime Minister on 46 per cent to Shorten's 31 per cent, but neither of them polled well on performance satisfaction. (AFP)

Australian PM vows to legalise same-sex marriage, if re-elected

gay-marriage

Gay Marriage, News on Gay Marriage, stories on Gay Marriage, articles on Gay Marriage, Gay Marriage stories at Wion, Gay Marriage news, Gay Marriage latest news