<p>More than 130,000 people, many wearing rainbow masks, marched through Taipei on Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality and the island's success in fighting coronavirus, in one of the largest Pride marches globally this year.</p>.<p>"Taiwan has done a fantastic job at both equality and pandemic control," said Chen Wei-chun, a 32-year-old bank employee who joined the march with a rainbow mask on.</p>.<p>"That makes us proud."</p>.<p>Taiwan has recorded just 555 Covid-19 infections and seven deaths, the majority of cases imported, thanks to an early and effective response.</p>.<p>Taiwan was the first to test arrivals from China in the early stage of the outbreak and imposed an “electronic fence” system that requires a 14-day quarantine for overseas arrivals and tracks their whereabouts via cellphones.</p>.<p>Taiwan last year became the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. This week, two women became the first Taiwanese military officers to marry their same-sex partners at a military wedding, marking another landmark for LGBTQ+ rights in Asia.</p>.<p>Organisers say more than 130,000 people marched through the streets of Taipei in the annual Pride parade, joined by major political parties including the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).</p>.<p>"Amid the global pandemic, we need more selfless love to unite one another and tolerate difference to make Taiwan a more progressive place," Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang wrote in a Facebook post to support the Pride march.</p>.<p>Proudly democratic Taiwan, however, remains divided over other related issues such as same-sex parenting, while gay couples are only allowed to marry foreigners from countries where same-sex marriage is also legal.</p>.<p>President Tsai Ing-wen, who came under criticism from some religious groups this week after calling people to join the Pride march, echoed the support for equality on Saturday.</p>.<p>"Today's key words are love, tolerance and a better Taiwan," she wrote on Facebook with a rainbow flag. "Let's work hard to make them the key words for everyday."</p>
<p>More than 130,000 people, many wearing rainbow masks, marched through Taipei on Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality and the island's success in fighting coronavirus, in one of the largest Pride marches globally this year.</p>.<p>"Taiwan has done a fantastic job at both equality and pandemic control," said Chen Wei-chun, a 32-year-old bank employee who joined the march with a rainbow mask on.</p>.<p>"That makes us proud."</p>.<p>Taiwan has recorded just 555 Covid-19 infections and seven deaths, the majority of cases imported, thanks to an early and effective response.</p>.<p>Taiwan was the first to test arrivals from China in the early stage of the outbreak and imposed an “electronic fence” system that requires a 14-day quarantine for overseas arrivals and tracks their whereabouts via cellphones.</p>.<p>Taiwan last year became the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. This week, two women became the first Taiwanese military officers to marry their same-sex partners at a military wedding, marking another landmark for LGBTQ+ rights in Asia.</p>.<p>Organisers say more than 130,000 people marched through the streets of Taipei in the annual Pride parade, joined by major political parties including the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).</p>.<p>"Amid the global pandemic, we need more selfless love to unite one another and tolerate difference to make Taiwan a more progressive place," Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang wrote in a Facebook post to support the Pride march.</p>.<p>Proudly democratic Taiwan, however, remains divided over other related issues such as same-sex parenting, while gay couples are only allowed to marry foreigners from countries where same-sex marriage is also legal.</p>.<p>President Tsai Ing-wen, who came under criticism from some religious groups this week after calling people to join the Pride march, echoed the support for equality on Saturday.</p>.<p>"Today's key words are love, tolerance and a better Taiwan," she wrote on Facebook with a rainbow flag. "Let's work hard to make them the key words for everyday."</p>