The Taiwanese military will highlight the wedding of two female soldiers and their female civilian partners at its annual mass wedding on Friday.
Chen Ying-xuan and Lee Ying-ying, and Wang Yi and Meng Youmei’s participation at this year’s mass wedding will become the Taiwanese military’s first-ever ceremony for same-sex couples, according to The Guardian. The military weddings will be held a day before the annual LGBTQ+ parade in Taipei.
“Our country … has become the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage and the ministry gives its blessings to same-sex servicemen who are getting married,” the Taiwanese military said in a statement.
To celebrate the joyous moment, the military posted 57 pictures of the couples who will attend the mass wedding and asked followers to like their favorite photos.
“This is not only a great encouragement to the LGBT community but also to the army,” a spokesperson from a group advocating for LGBTQ+ awareness in the military told the Guardian. “It’s proof that LGBT people can have equal rights and, like everyone else, are capable of defending the country.”
The country became a beacon for LGBTQ+ support and rights after the government legalized same-sex marriage in May 2019.
In addition to the wedding, Taipei City has announced it joined the Rainbow Cities Network (RCN) on Tuesday, according to Taiwan News.
Other members of RCN, an alliance of local governments working together to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ in their area, include cities like Mexico City, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin and Paris.
The recent announcement has made Taiwan the first city in Asia and the 31st city in the world to join the alliance, Mayor Ko Wen-je said on Tuesday.
Featured Image via 中華民國陸軍
