How Taiwanese Democracy Changed the Way I See My Life

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I remember being in Taiwan with my Ama, standing in a convenience store on the verge of tears because she refused to leave with me if I bought a headband I wanted. A deeply Christian woman, I knew she wouldn’t understand but it was important for me to try to explain why I wanted it. I remember telling her about the diversity of sexuality and gender which got lost somewhere in a mind clouded by a language barrier and dementia/Alzheimer’s (my eccentric, triathlete, U.S. Navy veteran, e-bike…

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Field Notes from Pride in Taiwan: LGBTQ*, Taiwanese-American, & Everything In Between

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Taiwan was one of the few places worldwide able to celebrate LGBTQ* visibility and acceptance during this year’s Pride Month. Hundreds of participants wearing rainbow masks marched in Liberty Square on behalf of those who could not due to the pandemic. In the face of the recent killings of Black transgender individuals such as Tony McDade, Dominique Fells, and Riah Milton in the United States, this march symbolized community, solidarity, and resilience in necessary times.  This was also…

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“When I came out to my mom, she was scared for me.”

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When I came out to my mom, she was scared for me. “I want you to have an easy life,” she said, and coming out meant that my life wasn’t going to be easy. Like any other Taiwanese mother, she wanted to protect me from the dangers I would have to face as I got older. The world she’d grown up in, Taiwan in the 1980s, was dangerous for people like me, and she didn’t want me to have to face yet another form of prejudice. But she also knew that my world as a 21st century American…

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Taiwan Float in NY Pride Parade Celebrates LGBTQ Movement in Taiwan

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The New York Taiwanese Community Crowdfunds to Celebrate the Recent Ruling on Same-sex Marriage by Taiwan’s Constitutional Court To celebrate this historic ruling, Mr. Chi Chia-Wei, the gay activist who filed the lawsuit that Taiwan’s Constitutional Court recently ruled on, has been invited to New York to participate in this year’s Gay Pride Parade, which will take place on June 25th. A crowdfunding campaign is now underway to raise funds to cover all fees and expenses for 1) Mr. Chi’s…

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2016 Taiwan Gay Pride Parade in NY

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HELP Taiwan be represented at the 2016 New York Gay Pride Parade! Did you know that Taiwan is the home of Asia’s largest Gay Pride parade? But the last time there was a float representing Taiwan in the New York Pride Parade was in 2010! There hasn’t been a Taiwan float these past couple of years because registration fees and the cost of a putting together a float are quite high. Now more than ever, in the wake of the June 12th shooting at the Orlando nightclub Pulse, we need to show our support…

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Taiwanese Culture Night 2016 at UCLA

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UCLA presents Taiwanese Culture Night 2016: 摯親愛的 (Dear My Love). Growing up in a traditional Taiwanese family, Audrey tends to hide her true feelings and aspirations because of her family’s expectations for her to become a stereotypical, obedient daughter. When Audrey meets Ellen, a girl who constantly chases after her dreams, they fall in love. How will their families react to their relationship? Will the traditional family values support their love? Will Audrey finally become fearless…

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