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64 / People

says. something bad. “I would like my from pride parades, constitutional
family to know my significant other interpretation to referendum. It was
First Encounter and let them realize that gay couples a landmark moment when same-
Their first encounter was in Shih can also engage in a stable relation- sex marriage was legalized after the
Chien University when they were ship,” Lin says. Legislative Yuan passed the act. “Tai-
grouped in a physical education les- Yuan came out to his mother a wan is a blessed country where hu-
son. They chatted with each other month before he proposed to Lin, man rights are valued, which makes
through video calls every day after but in fact his mother knew every me feel so proud,” Lin says. Taiwan
school. thing from the beginning. At the is the first nation in Asia to legalize
Lin soon confessed his love to night he came out, his mother could same-sex marriage.
Yuan. “I like you. Do you want to be even tell the name of Lin or how A rainbow showed up in the sky
with me?” Lin did not dare to see the long they had been together. after the Legislative Yuan members
reply so he turned off his computer When Yuan concealed his sexual voted to approve same-sex marriage.
but Yuan made his decision without orientation, his mother faced every- “Ever since I realized I was gay, I be-
thinking much unexpectedly. “Sure! thing alone. “Now I send these kind lieved that it was almost impossible
We can try it,” Yuan answered. of videos about homosexual people for me to marry my love,” Lin says.

Lin and Yuan, the first gay couple who married in Asia. (Photo courtesy of Marc Yuan and Shane Lin)

They cohabited in Lin’s place af- and their family to let her realize “When Yuan told me that the bill
ter dating for about a year. Lin’s fam- that this is natural, and that she is same-sex legislative act was passed, I
ily gradually grew fond of Yuan as not alone in the situation,” Yuan couldn’t help but bursting into tear.
they get used to his presence. “I hope says. I almost cried my eyes out!”
they can feel our love directly,” Lin “Maybe it is because we gave our The Legislative Yuan, the su-
says. “It’s important to change their family lots of time to observe and to preme legislative organization of
heart little by little in this way.” accept us gradually. So family con- Taiwan, is equivalent to a parlia-
flict was avoided,” Lin says. ment in other democratic states.
Coming Out Legislators are elected by the people
Lin came out to his mother LGBT Right in Taiwan every four years to exercise legisla-
when he was in high school, but his Starting from 1990s, Taiwan tive power.
mother thought homosexuality was LGBT rights movement has gone The pair was one of the 20 cou-