29 May, 2017
Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan, must now amend the civil code to allow same-sex couples to marry or pass new laws.
Supporters from both camps had gathered in central Taipei to await the decision, with hundreds of pro-gay marriage campaigners flying rainbow flags outside parliament. They have staged several large-scale protests against marriage equality, with some conservative activists demanding a referendum on the matter.
"Lawmakers must act swiftly to ensure Taiwan becomes the first in Asia to make genuine marriage equality a reality", she said in a statement.
A lesbian couple picking out a wedding dress after the ruling in favour of gay marriage in Taiwan.
"It will be a barometer of human rights protection in the region as Asia follows the United States' and Europe's steps to recognise same-sex marriages", he said.
As Chia-wei moved forward, he was joined by LGBT activist groups, municipal authorities in Taipei seeking clarity over other same-sex marriage requests, and citizens who were members of the LGBT community or allies of the community.
Noting a history of discrimination against homosexuality and homosexuals' lack of political power, the court said that "in determining the constitutionality of different treatment based on sexual orientation, a heightened standard shall be applied".
The country did not allow gay unions, but the court ruled that barring same-sex marriage was a violation of the constitution.
Momentum has been growing behind the push for equal marriage rights, with Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen openly supporting the campaign.
The Court has given the government two years to implement the judgment by enacting a new law or amending the existing law.
Taiwan already has a large gay community and their annual gay pride parade is the biggest in Asia. For instance, South Korea has been discriminating against gays in the armed forces, and Indonesian police have recently raided a gay sauna and publicly caned two gay men, according to CNN.
Those in favour of same-sex marriage have said they expect the ruling will be positive.
There are 23 countries worldwide that now allow same-sex marriage, most of which are in Europe, North America, and some in South America, according to Pew Research Center.
