7 Years of Marriage Equality: Tsai Ing-wen Says 'Finding a Partner is Up to You'

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 24. Marking the 7th anniversary of the implementation of marriage equality, former President Tsai Ing-wen posted on Threads, reflecting on the day seven years ago when she signed the bill at the Presidential Office, making Taiwan the first country in Asia where same-sex couples could legally marry. She jokingly added, 'It has been seven years since marriage equality; whether you find a partner or not is up to you.' Tsai stated through social media that May 24 is the day marriage equality officially began in Taiwan. She noted that this step was not just a change in law, but the result of years of effort, mutual understanding, and collective progress. The path was not easy, but Taiwanese society chose to use democratic means to keep freedom and equality moving forward. Tsai thanked everyone who believed in love and helped make Taiwan a better place, wishing for everyone to be able to love freely and live securely on this land. Tsai also shared a video of a recent speech, where she mentioned that during her eight years as president, she often faced difficult decisions. Marriage equality was a major point of contention in Taiwanese society at the time, but as a democratic society, it was necessary to return to the fundamental question: 'Should everyone enjoy equal rights before the law?' She also shared an anecdote about then-Premier Su Tseng-chang, who used impeccable Taiwanese to appeal to the older generation's affection for the younger generation to gain acceptance, noting, 'Premier Su has always been a tough guy, but on this issue, he suddenly became gentle, which surprised me.' Tsai concluded that the responsibility of democratic politics is not just to make decisions, but to ensure that after decisions are made, society remains willing to understand each other, continue communicating, and move forward together.