Same-sex marriage in Taiwan

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Taiwan since May 24, 2019, making it the first country in Asia to allow such unions. In 2017, the Constitutional Court decided that not allowing same-sex marriages was unfair and against the Taiwanese Constitution. This decision meant that same-sex couples had the right to marry.

In 2018, people in Taiwan voted in special votes to try to stop same-sex marriage, but the government decided not to change the main marriage law. Instead, they made a new law just for same-sex couples. This law was passed and signed by President Tsai Ing-wen in May 2019, and it became official on May 24, 2019.

By 2023, same-sex couples in Taiwan were also allowed to adopt children. In 2024, couples from places on the other side of the strait could also get married, but they had to follow the same complicated rules as other couples. Even with the new law, some rules in the old marriage law still only talked about men and women, and some health services were only for married men and women.

Partnership registration

Same-sex couples in Taiwan can register their relationship through a special "partnership registration" in 18 cities and counties, which include most of the country's population. However, these partnerships do not give couples all the rights that married couples have. They do allow partners to make certain decisions for each other, like giving consent for medical surgery, and taking parental leave.

In 2015 and 2016, many cities and counties in Taiwan began allowing same-sex couples to register their partnerships. By 2017, most areas had started to offer this service. After same-sex marriage became legal in Taiwan in 2019, partnership registration was no longer needed for local couples, but it remained an option for some foreign couples until it was later phased out.

Same-sex marriage

In 2003, the government suggested changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry, but the idea was not approved because many lawmakers disagreed. In 2012, two women had a special ceremony to celebrate their partnership, and later that year, a leader spoke about supporting equal rights for everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2017, an important court decided that not allowing same-sex couples to marry was unfair. They said the law needed to change so everyone could marry the person they loved, no matter their gender. This decision meant that by May 2019, same-sex couples could officially get married.

In 2019, the government made a new law that let same-sex couples form a permanent partnership and have many of the same rights as married couples, like making medical decisions for each other. This law was signed and became official on May 24, 2019, making Taiwan the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage.

Since then, more changes have been made to help same-sex couples, like allowing them to adopt children together. However, some rights, like certain medical treatments, are still being worked on to make sure everyone is treated fairly and equally.

Statistics

Partnerships

By April 2016, more than 500 couples who loved each other the same way had registered their partnerships in the country, mostly in Taipei.

According to statistics published by the Ministry of the Interior, 272 partnerships were registered at the end of 2015, followed by 1,689 at the end of 2016, 2,142 on 31 May 2017, 2,890 at the end of 2017, 3,951 in November 2018, and 3,989 in late April 2019. In May 2020, there were 2,587 active partnerships, with many couples choosing to marry instead.

Marriage

526 couples who loved each other the same way got married on 24 May 2019, the first day they were legally permitted to do so. 185 were couples of two men, and 341 were couples of two women. New Taipei City registered the most marriages, with 117, followed by Taipei with 95 and Kaohsiung with 72.

By 23 June 2019, 1,173 couples who loved each other the same way had married in Taiwan: 383 couples of two men and 790 couples of two women. Two couples separated. New Taipei City registered 242 marriages, followed by Taipei (198), Kaohsiung (159), Taichung (141), Taoyuan (123), Tainan (89), Hsinchu County (28), Hualien County (27), Pingtung County (27), Hsinchu (25), Yilan County (20), Changhua County (19), Miaoli County (19), Keelung (15), Nantou County (13), Yunlin County (12), Chiayi County (9), Taitung County (6), Chiayi (3), Penghu County (3), Kinmen County (2) and none in Lienchiang County. The first marriage for couples who loved each other the same way in Lienchiang took place in Nangan in March 2020.

By 23 May 2020, almost one year after it became legal, 4,021 couples had married in Taiwan. The data released by the Ministry of the Interior showed that most of the marriages were between two women, at 2,773 (69%), while 1,248 were between two men. While most marriages were between people from Taiwan, 189 marriages, or 5 percent of the total, were between people from Taiwan and another country. Among these, 80 spouses were from the United States, followed by Canada at 21 and Australia at 17.

On October 30, 2020, at the Ministry of National Defense's annual mass wedding ceremony, 2 couples who loved each other the same way were among the 188 couples who participated. Both were military officers marrying their partner who did not serve in the military.

Indigenous Taiwanese

There are no records of same-sex marriage as known in Western cultures being practiced in Indigenous Taiwanese cultures. However, some behaviors and identities among the Paiwan people might relate to what we today call the LGBT community. The Paiwan people used a word called adju among female friends. Today, adju is linked to gender diversity in their community.

Many Indigenous Taiwanese people became Christian in the 1940s and 1950s. Christianity has been very important in their villages and has influenced views, including opposition to same-sex marriage. Some Christian groups, like the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, have been active in these discussions.

Public opinion

A poll in April 2006 showed that 75% of Taiwanese adults thought same-sex relationships were okay, while 25% did not. In August 2013, 53% of people supported same-sex marriage, but 37% did not. Younger people, especially those aged 20 to 29, showed much more support.

Support for same-sex marriage has changed over time. In 2015, 71% of people were in favor, but by 2020, only 43% supported it. By May 2023, support had risen to about 60%. In 2024, 69% of people supported same-sex marriage, and 77% thought same-sex couples should have the right to adopt children.

Support is generally higher among younger people, women, and those who are not religious. Overall, opinions in Taiwan have shifted to more acceptance over the years.