Catch the rain-splashed streets of Taipei, and you’ll sense something electric: more than 150,000 people — undeterred by heavy downpours — flooded the capital on 25 October 2025 for the 23rd edition of Taipei Pride, billed as East Asia’s largest LGBTQ+ march. Under the banner of “Beyond Links: More than Clicks”, the parade wasn’t simply a rainbow-festooned party. It was a living, breathing bold statement: that Taiwan remains the vanguard of queer rights in Asia — and that its experiment in equality is still unfolding.
Taiwan made history back in 2019 when it became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. For many in the region, Taiwan doesn’t just represent possibility — it embodies a “can-do” cultural template. In this latest march, many international visitors from across Asia flocked in, waving flags, chanting slogans and exchanging enthusiastic greetings in Cantonese like 「齊齊加油」(“all together, keep going”) or 「同志加油」(lit. “comrades, keep going” — colloquial for LGBTQ solidarity). The sense of shared struggle, of building bridges beyond mere digital “likes”, underlined the theme: interpersonal empathy (同理心) matters. One marcher from Hong Kong lamented: “In Hong Kong things for the LGBT community have gone backwards. I don’t know why but it’s really a shame.”
So what is it about Taiwan that has allowed queer rights to flourish where in so many Asian states they have stalled or been repressed? A critical factor is the island’s strong democratic framework and vibrant civil society. According to activist analysts, the fact that Taiwan has a high degree of media freedom, open public discourse and generational turnover has been central. Another pillar is education: since the passage of the Gender Equity Education Act in 2004, schools have included modules on gender identity and sexual orientation, enabling younger Taiwanese to grow up with more inclusive world-views. The result: acceptance among younger age-cohorts reached nearly 78 % or more in pre-2019 surveys of 20-to-29-year-olds.
Culturally, Taiwan blends East-Asian communal sensibilities with a devil-may-care urbanism in cities like Taipei. In the lanes of Ximending (西門町) or the neon-striped alleys of Daan (大安), the queer scene interweaves with mainstream pop culture, drag clubs, night markets and even indigenous identity politics. Drag performers aren’t just fringe figures; they’re part of the parade’s visual centre. The widespread use of Cantonese phrases (despite Mandarin’s dominance) in this international event captures how Taiwan’s queer culture draws from a broad Sinosphere—Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore—and sends that message outward: we’re not alone.
Of course, the path has not been devoid of push-back. A 2023 survey showed that 42 % of Taiwanese respondents still opposed same-sex marriage. There’s also the lingering issue of full legal parity (for example in adoption rights and cross-border marriage) and how rural or conservative pockets interpret the wave of change. But the sheer fact that an event like the 2025 Taipei Pride took place under rain and still drew such numbers, while being broadly supported by senior government figures, tells you the tide has turned.
In the march, the presence of international visitors from Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and beyond attested to Taiwan’s soft-power role as a regional beacon. As one participant put it: “Everyone comes to Taiwan to participate in the parade for gender equality and speak up for equal rights.” The government’s message underscores this too: the president reaffirmed that everyone deserves to be “cherished for their uniqueness, free to live and shine on this land”.
For bloggers, activists and writers alike, Taiwan offers a narrative that bucks the conservative arc too often seen in Asia. It shows that a mix of grassroots activism (街頭運動 gaaitàuh wàhnduhng in Cantonese transliteration for “street movement”), institutional reform, educational outreach and culture-shaping media can converge to drive real change. Whether you’re marching with the flags or writing from a quiet orchard town, Taiwan’s story gives the queer community across Asia reason to hope — and to organise.
In the heart of Taipei’s grey skies and rainbow umbrellas, 2025’s Pride didn’t just mark another year of celebration. It marked persistence, solidarity and the statement that love, inclusion and rights are more than hashtags; they’re the public square, the loudspeaker, the march. And in Taiwan, that square is wider than most.
Oh honey, let me tell you: I have danced in many queer parades across Asia — Seoul humidity, Bangkok glitter storms, Manila’s chaotic joy — but nothing compares to marching through Taipei in the rain with 150,000 of my loudest, proudest rainbow siblings. Umbrellas everywhere, raindrops smudging eyeliner, rainbow flags wrapped like superhero capes — and all of us screaming one message: in Taiwan, love is not a crime, it’s a celebration.
Spicy Auntie landed in Taipei with a suitcase full of fake eyelashes and truly strong political opinions, ready to cheer on the real heroes: the Taiwanese LGBTQ community who transformed their island from conservative stronghold to regional vanguard. They fought in the courts, in the legislature, in their families’ living rooms during Sunday lunch — and they won. Same-sex marriage in 2019. Legal recognition. Adoption rights expanding. And still pushing for more. Taiwan didn’t just break the mold — they threw the mold off the Rainbow Bridge and waved goodbye.
As a regional auntie, I came to pay my respects. Because when I look at Taiwan, I see what Asia could be — open-minded, democratic, stubbornly fabulous. I see young queers holding hands openly, kissing on the MRT platform, not looking over their shoulders for police in the shadows. I see aunties and uncles bringing their kids to Pride, teaching them that inclusion is a family value. I see government officials showing up because supporting human rights is — surprise! — part of their job. And for those other governments still muttering “but Asian values”… Sweetie, please. Taiwan is Asia. Courage is an Asian value. Equality is an Asian value. Loving who you love is as Asian as bubble tea.
This year’s theme — “Beyond Links: More Than Clicks” — hit deep. Social media support is cute, but showing up in the pouring rain? That’s solidarity with waterproof mascara. Next to me, a Hong Kong marcher whispered, “We come here to breathe.” That broke my heart a little, and then stitched it back together with pride. Because Taiwan isn’t just celebrating itself — it’s breathing hope into the whole region.
So yes, Auntie marched — screaming, sweating, soaked, sparkly. And the message dripping from my rainbow umbrella was simple: Taiwan, you are our lighthouse. Keep shining. Keep fighting. Keep dancing us forward.
And the rest of Asia? Better catch up. Pride doesn’t wait. Auntie feels wet!