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Sing It Out of Love

The first same-sex couple
married in Taiwan, Marc
Yuan and Shane Lin, talked

about their romance, fam-
ily lives, and also how LGBT
community fought for their
rights there

By Tommy Huang in Taipei

e, Marc Yuan, proposed to matter?’” Lin recalls. He found that
him, Shane Lin, on January Darkness Before Dawn people would respect him more
H6, 2018 at Tanya Chua ’s con- But before this happy ending, the when he answered the question this
cert in Taiwan. The singer passed her two princes underwent a lot of tough way. If he attempted to shy away,
microphone to Yuan from the stage times in their childhood. “Feminine others would tease him.
after singing a song titled “Sing It boys tend to be targets of bullying, Yuan was attacked by his class-
Out of Love”. whether you are gay or not,” Lin mates violently as he had more fe-
“Will you marry me?” Yuan says. “My childhood memory was as male friends than other boys. “Once
asked, with his hands trembling. bad as it can be.” I went to play billiards with some fe-
His words were responded by his be- Lin was teased as a “cream puff”, male classmates, some boys dragged
loved man, Lin, with the exact three a nickname for feminine boys, for me to an alley and assaulted me with
words he wanted to hear most at his femininity and was bullied at helmets and baseball bats,” Yuan
that moment: “Yes, I will.” Audience schools. He was once dragged out of
lit up the stadium with their cell- a toilet cubicle by bullies. “If I talked
phone flashlights, which looked like back, they would become more vio- “
sparkling stars in the sky, wishing lent,” Lin says. “At that time, I chose Whenever I was
the couple a lifetime of happiness. not to go to a restroom if there were
Fashion store owner, Yuan, 30 many students there.” asked if I am gay, I
and fondant cake artist, Lin, 31, tied Having suffered from years of replied, ‘Yes, I am.
their knots officially on May 24, bullying, Lin concealed his sexual
2019, marking a significant day in orientation to avoid being attacked. What’s the matter?’
Taiwan gay right history. The cou- He decided not to keep it as a shame-
ple is the first pair who registered ful secret when studying at a high-
their marriage after the legislation school. ”
of same-sex marriage was passed on “Whenever I was asked if I am
May 17, 2019. gay, I replied, ‘Yes, I am. What’s the