Young LGBTQ People in Taiwan Say They Still Face Social Stigma
Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage back in 2019. But despite the country's progress in this area, young LGBTQ people say they still largely face widespread social stigma at school and at home.
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00:00LGBTQ people in Taiwan say the fight for equality is not over.
00:04Musician and transgender rights advocate Rachel has been using her platform to speak out on
00:09behalf of her community.
00:11Recently she's noticed more young LGBTQ people attending her shows, and she says many of
00:16them have confided their concerns to her.
00:18They don't dare to go out on the street, they don't dare to confess to their families.
00:22According to a 2020 survey conducted by the Taiwan Tongzhi LGBTQ Plus Hotline Association,
00:2842% of LGBTQ youth reported frequently hearing homophobic comments at school, and 74% reported
00:34hearing their teachers make disparaging remarks about a student's gender expression or gender
00:38identity.
00:39The association says many young people feel discouraged to live freely.
00:44For example, many young people who are willing to attend the show have not told their families
00:50that they will attend the show in the future.
00:52Many people in the survey also said they feel like they're on their own when it comes to
00:55making friends and dating.
00:57Taiwan's LGBTQ Plus Hotline says that they have a system in place to support callers.
01:02But activists say when young LGBTQ people call in, they often encounter awkward situations.
01:21As Taiwan's LGBTQ community makes strides in legal protections, young community members
01:25are signaling that more needs to be done.
01:28The Taiwan Tongzhi LGBTQ Plus Hotline says they've been working with the government to
01:31create what they call a comprehensive sex education policy for young LGBTQ people.
01:37They also want more educational resources for people from older generations.
01:41There's a clear gap between official policy and the lived experiences of young LGBTQ people
01:46in Taiwan, a gap that will narrow with greater understanding and changed attitudes.
01:50Patrick Chen and Wesley Lewis for Taiwan Plus.
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