Why Taiwan Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Is Important

The Taiwanese parliament on Friday voted to legalize gay marriage nationwide, the first Asian country to do so. This vote come two years after Taiwan's constitutional court struck down the Taiwanese civil code's definition of marriage as between man and woman, with the court giving the Taiwanese legislative branch until May 2019 to pass a resolution on the issue.

"Love has won over hate, and equality has won over discrimination," Amnesty International acting director Anne Huang said in a statement. "This is a moment to cherish and celebrate, but it has been a long and arduous campaign for Taiwan to become the first in Asia to legalize gay marriage."

In the leading weeks up to the vote, Taiwanese men wore skirts on social networks such as Instagram and Facebook to challenge gender stereotypes and show support for LGBT rights in the country, France 24 reported.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Taipei to await the results of the vote, with cries of joy after the bill was passed. Conservatives in Taiwan, however, were not so happy and last year Taiwanese voters overwhelming turned down a referendum legalizing same-sex marriage.

The vote could play a role who voters support in the country's 2020 presidential election, as Tsai-Ing Wen, Taiwan's current president, was a major backer of legalizing same-sex marriage. Voters could express their discontent for her and her left-wing Democratic Progressive Party and opt for more conservative leadership.

Global leaders praised the law, with U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt saying that he would like to "congratulate" the Taiwanese people on the achievement.

"This is one big step forward not only for Taiwan but also for Asia and for the world," he added.

The French representative office in Taiwan said "bravo" after the bill was passed.

Reuters reported that major companies such as Google, Airbnb, Deutsche Bank, Mastercard, Microsoft have joined forces with other companies to praise the benefits of same-sex weddings. A Microsoft executive in Taiwan noted that same-sex marriage will lead to a "stronger and more successful society."

Taiwan is a progressive country on LGBT issues in Asia, with Taipei's gay pride parade often getting many LGBT visitors from other countries in the region.

Brunei, meanwhile, has recently made headlines and caused boycotts due to a law that punishes gay sex through stoning.

The Pew Research Center offered a world map of countries that have legalized gay marriage.