Taiwan Pride, the region’s largest pride march, makes triumphant return

On a rainy Saturday, Taiwan Pride made a triumphant return to Taipei’s streets, attracting 120,000 people, according to organizers. This year marked the 20th edition of this celebration — which includes the largest pride parade in East Asia — but it was the first large-scale in-person event since the pandemic began. (Taiwan has eased its COVID-19 restrictions). After a one-hour opening ceremony, paraders walked through the center of the city, setting out from Taipei City Hall, waving flags and carrying banners, including many in support of Ukraine, Hong Kong, and Tibet.

“I am very moved to be participating in pride again,” said Xiaomao Su, one of the attendees. Su is 41 and manages a local LGBTQ community called Mao’s Family (毛姐一家人 máo jiě yījiā rén), in Taoyuan, just west of Taipei. Within his lifetime, he has seen improvements in LGBTQ rights, perhaps most prominently with the introduction of a same-sex marriage law in 2019. “We can express ourselves more openly now. Just like we do today — walking on the road together to show who we are. In the past, we could not do that.”

In 2003, the first year of Taiwan Pride Parade, only 700 showed up, many reportedly wearing masks to hide their identities.

In 2022, helium-filled balloons with rainbow motifs fluttered over the crowds in front of Taipei’s iconic hallmark, the Taipei 101 skyscraper. In front of Taipei City Hall, organizers erected a stage and set up a rainbow market across the way, where merchandise and local crafts were sold during the day.

Sounds of whistles and bass-laden pop tunes rang out across the square as hosts onstage declared the start of the Pride Parade. The four-laned boulevard Renai Road filled up with revelers, some mounted on parade wagons, others carrying banners and “free hugs” signs.

But behind the elation on display, there was also a simmering frustration over a recent development. In August, Taiwan organizers of WorldPride 2025, which was scheduled to be hosted in Kaohsiung, pulled out over a name dispute. Global organizers had requested the event be called WorldPride Kaohsiung, as opposed to WorldPride Taiwan, leading to speculation that Beijing was exerting political pressure.

“There is one thing that we should stand firm on,” said a woman surnamed Yin, 24, who was attending Taiwan Pride 2022 with her female partner, both dressed in red and wearing the crowns of a king and a queen. “We are Taiwanese. We cannot say we are ‘Chinese Taipei.’ We are free and we should be able to use our own name.”

Still, Yin feels that just being able to walk together down the street again, after two years, is what’s important. “Same-sex marriages has already been approved, but in society there are still some who look down on us,” she said. “So I hope by continuing to participate in pride, everybody will be more accepting of same-sex couples.”

The implementation of Taiwan’s same-sex marriage law in 2019 cemented its position as a leader of LGBTQ rights in Asia. But the fight for equality is not over.

“To be frank, one part of society is still quite conservative,” Luo Junkai said. He is 31 and works in the restaurant industry in Taipei, and was attending the parade with his partner, Hei Hei, both wearing gray and black Japanese kimonos. “It is our parents’ generation, those who are about 50 to 60 years old. I would say it is probably half of them that are quite conservative. Many look down on homosexuals, but if you look to the younger people, everybody is already pretty openminded.”

Luo’s point is echoed by other members of the LGBTQ community that I have met in Taipei, who make comments such as, “Parents accept that you date other men, but they still ask, ‘When are you going to bring us a grandchild?’” And, “It is very difficult to find someone to marry, and if you do, you have to consider their family as well. It is still common that they may not accept you or the fact that their son is gay.”

Simon Yu-Hsun Tai, 32, is a spokesperson of the Taiwan LQBTQ Pride 2022, and he recognizes this problem. While these sentiments are largely generational, the solution may just be to let the flow of time do its job. He said that more urgent matters for the LGBTQ community should be addressed: “HIV awareness and the possibilities of adoption for same-sex couples are not currently covered by the laws of Taiwan. Neither are international marriages, so if, say, a Japanese and a Taiwanese person of the same sex want to get married, that is not permitted.”

Another parader said, “I am proud that Taiwan is the first place in Asia where gay marriage has been legalized. It has really shown to the world that we are different from China.”

As tens of thousands of paraders walked down the main streets of Taipei, debates about identity or challenges of societal acceptance seemed, at least momentarily, secondary to the displays of diversity, happiness, and individuality. The return of pride to the Taiwanese capital has made a deep impression on Yin and her partner. “We are just really happy,” she said. “Even though it has rained a lot this year, many still turned up, and it makes me delighted to see so many people cheer on the Pride Parade.”