Forbes: These Asian Countries Could Follow in Taiwan’s LGBT Rights Footsteps

Taiwan’s Constitutional Court declared that same-sex marriage is part of the “people’s right to equality” in May and became the first place in Asia to legalize the practice. The island has a history of practicing progressive values, with the LGBT movement forming more than two decades ago as politicians attempted to build a more pluralistic society. “Taiwanese LGBT groups are wondering now who else in the region might follow when their homeland officially becomes Asia’s first place to allow same-sex marriage,” reports Ralph Jennings for Forbes. Nations that are not primarily monotheistic, ethnically homogenous or authoritarian are the most likely to loosen their policies. Thailand and Cambodia are prime candidates, both having passed legislation in recent years toward combatting discrimination, Jennings argues. Still, activists assert that more action is required since discrimination remains rampant in the two Southeast Asian nations. – YaleGlobal