Taiwan is one of the most progressive parts of Asia when it comes to homosexual rights. The country proved its support for same-sex couples again, only recently, with same-sex couples being granted the right to adopt children.
In 2019, Taiwan became the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage but stopped short of allowing equal adoption rights to all married couples. But now Taiwan has passed a bill that grants same-sex couples the right to jointly adopt a child neither of them is related to.
The news comes a year after a married gay couple, partnered for 16 years, challenged laws that state same-sex couples aren’t fit to adopt children. Wang Chen-wei and Chen Chun-ju won their case and immediately adopted their daughter.
The Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, a same-sex relationship advocate group, believes the right for all couples to adopt is a major step towards full equality.
“Today’s success shows that the consensus in Taiwan is to protect the human rights of LGBTI peoples and promote gender equality,” the alliance said in a statement.
“I am very excited that we granted joint adoption rights to same-sex couples today,” said Fan Yun, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, according to CNN.
“Legally, we have finally returned same-sex couples to their children,” she added. “Parental love is the same, and only through joint adoption can we protect the rights and interests of each other by law.”
There is heated debate over whether Taiwan is a sovereign country separate from China. Only 13 countries and the Vatican City recognize Taiwan as a country, despite it being recognized by the United Nations from 1949-1971.
The new adoption laws do not include same-sex partners from mainland China. Some of the remaining hurdles for same-sex couples are related to cross-strait same-sex marriages, as well as access to reproductive technologies.
