• In a landmark first for Asia, Taiwan’s Parliament today passed a bill legalising same-sex marriage.
• The bill would allow same-sex couples to form ‘exclusive permanent unions’ and would let them apply for a ‘marriage registration’ with government agencies.

BACKGROUND:

• The island’s Constitutional Court had ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry.
• The Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by May 24. President Tsai Ing-wen hailed the vote as a big step towards true equality that will make Taiwan a better country.
• Australia and New Zealand are the only places in the wider Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws.
• Vietnam decriminalised gay marriage celebrations in 2015, but it stopped short of full legal recognition for same-sex unions.