TAIPEI: Taiwan’s constitutional court began hearing a landmark case Friday that could make the island the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage. It comes after the first draft of a bill to legalise gay marriage was passed by Taiwan’s parliament in December. A legislative committee approved an amendment to the civil law that would allow gay couples to legally tie the knot. Taiwan is considered progressive on many issues including gay rights, however its roots in Confucianism translate into a strong sense of adherence to traditional mores. Past attempts to legalize same-sex marriage stalled under the Kuomintang party, which dominated politics for decades until it was unseated by President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party last year.

Source: Manila Times March 24, 2017 03:22 UTC