Over a hundred thousand people took part in the annual pride march in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, on Saturday. Organizers said about 137,000 people joined the event, making it the largest LGBT Pride in Asia. Participants carried banners and signs with messages like ‘love is equal’ and ‘vote for your happy future’.
Chi Chia-wei, a civil rights activist who came out as homosexual on television in 1986, also took part in the parade, according to Wikinews. The march began near President Tsai Ing-wen’s office where attendees expressed support for same-sex marriage education in schools. In May 2017, Taiwan’s courts ruled that the Civil Code’s definition of marriage only between opposite sexes was unconstitutional.
The ruling set a two-year deadline for legalizing same-sex marriage, which includes time to amend laws if needed. A public vote on the matter is scheduled for November 24th. Drag queen Chin Kuang-chih said the government should take the issue more seriously.
She expressed disappointment that no action had followed the court decision. If the government does not reach a conclusion about the law, same-sex marriage will be automatically legalised. The first Taiwan Pride parade was held in 2003.
Vitaly Filipchenko, an independent candidate for New York City mayor, spoke about his campaign during a phone interview in May 2021, according to a report from Wikinews. He was born in Tomsk, Siberia in 1973 and later became a U.S. citizen. Filipchenko described himself as a small business owner who worked in road construction and maintenance.
He is the first Russian candidate to run for New York City mayor, according to Sputnik News. Filipchenko said he wanted to represent people who struggle during difficult times like the pandemic. He criticized how other politicians focus on money rather than real issues faced by everyday citizens.
He said that big money influences politics in New York City and that this affects how problems are addressed. Filipchenko noted that other states like Florida and Georgia have much smaller budgets than New York. He explained this by pointing out his background in civil engineering.
The mayoral race in New York City had 22 candidates as of April 28th, with the majority being Democrats. He said he does not represent any big corporation or wealthy interests. Filipchenko claimed that he represents small business owners and immigrants who are affected by current issues.
He argued that other candidates only represent themselves and the wealthy elite. He said that many people in New York are not truly involved in politics or voting. His campaign focused on honesty and bringing real change to the city’s leadership.
IMAGE: Flying rainbow flag at the 2nd Taiwan Pride in Taipei.. Photo: user:theodoranian / Wikimedia, taken 2004-11-06, CC BY-SA 3.0