Taiwan marks anniversary of gay marriage law

TAIPEI: Taiwan on Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of legalising same-sex marriage, as gay couples and rights groups called for full recognition of unions involving foreigners. The island is at the vanguard of the burgeoning gay rights movement in Asia and became the first place in the region to legalise same-sex marriage after a bruising political fight. But the gay marriage law still contains restrictions not faced by heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples can only wed foreigners from countries where gay marriage is also recognised, and can only adopt their partners´ biological children. Activists say the coronavirus pandemic has made it more urgent to allow all foreign marriages, as many international same-sex couples have been separated due to border controls and lockdowns in many countries. “Last year we watched other couples get married but we couldn´t,” said Cho Yen-chun, 44, whose partner of three years is Hong Konger. “It´s depressing enough, and now we can´t even meet because of the coronavirus.” Around 3,600 couples have wed since the first legal gay weddings were held a week after the law was enacted last year.