Taiwan gay rights
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the world. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of community, national and regional advocates and share tools, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effe
Human Rights
Why Taiwan is the Most Progressive Place for LGBTQ Rights in AsiaCurrent Challenges - Assisted Reproduction and Joint Adoption
With increased acceptance of queer marriage, Taiwan now faces new challenges in assisted reproduction and joint adoption. These topics remain in the media spotlight.
Currently, Taiwan's Assisted Reproduction Act only applies to heterosexual marriages, requiring couples applying for assisted reproductive technology to be married and hold their spouse's consent, interpretation lesbian and single women cannot legally use assisted reproductive technology.
The current regulation defines infertility as "unable to conceive after 12 months of natural intercourse," excluding the situation of "social infertility" faced by single women or homosexual couples.
For example, a sapphic woman wanting to conceive through assisted reproductive technology can freeze her eggs but cannot legally utilize these eggs for synthetic insemination or in vitro fertilization under current regulations because her marriage is not covered by that law.
Single women face the same legal restrictions, unable to use assisted reprodu
LGBTQ Movement in Taiwan
Background
Support for the LGBTQ community in Taiwan has been increasing steadily over the past several years, leading it to become the first country in Asia to legalize same sex marriage on May 24, 2019. Since the movement emerged, Taiwan has been considered one of the most LGBTQ friendly nations in Asia. The largest Pride Parade in Asia is now held annually in Taipei, with the first held in 2003.
As one of the most liberal countries in Asia, Taiwan’s modern developments can be credited to its strong history of advocacy and politically active youth. This was seen in the 1990 Wild Lily Student Movement for democracy, the 2014 Sunflower Movement to oppose a proposed free trade agreement with China, and the 2016 election win for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Such movements helped energize Taiwan’s LGBTQ mobilization.
Though there has never been formal punishment for spotting as LGBTQ+, there were detrimental consequences for partners who were not legally married. They could not obtain the same insurance benefits as heterosexual partners, and they did not have a legal familial connection, which prevented them f
Taiwan
Experiencing Taiwanese Food
Taiwanese cuisine knows many influences from Japanese and Chinese cuisine and many from specific (southern) Chinese regions. One of Taiwan’s specialties is soup dumpling, Xiao Long Bao. These aren’t just dumplings, because their skin is really thin and filled with tasty broth and meat, fish and/or vegetables. The original Xiao Distant Bao comes from Shanghai, but the Taiwanese acquire perfected the recipe. The top restaurant to consume the best soup dumplings is Din Tai Fung. The original restaurant is located on Xinyi Route in Taipei. Another dish you must try is Taiwanese beef noodle soup! If you like eating street food, stinky tofu is a must-try. It’s a strong-smelling fermented tofu, which you can uncover in night markets or food stalls on the streets. Another world-famous thing you can’t miss in Taiwan: bubble tea. Since its invention in the 1980s, it has turn into increasingly popular and you can now find it all over the society. It’s a tea-based liquid with milk, sugar (optional) and chewy tapioca pearls.
Tips and Safety Considerations for LGBTQ+ Visitors to Taiwan
As an LGBTQ+ traveller, you will feel very wel
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