A gay rights group in Taiwan has
announced it will host the wedding celebrations of 60 lesbian
couples, the AFP reported.
The symbolic weddings are part of a
campaign to legalize gay marriage in the island nation, which
restricts marriage to heterosexual couples.
Roughly 1,000 people are expected to
attend the mass wedding, which will take place during a private
ceremony later this month.
Organizers also said the event is a
celebration of the recent legalization of gay marriage in New York.
“We are celebrating the recent
legalization of gay marriage in New York,” said organizer AJ Wang,
“and we hope that Taiwan will make the same move in the near
future.”
“We also want the public to see that
so many gay couples are committed to each other and they deserve to
be recognized and treated fairly,” she added.
Taiwan became the first country in Asia
in 2003 to introduce a bill that would legalize gay marriage and
allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt children, but President Ma
Ying-jeou has said public support is needed before the measure can be
debated.
Last year's Gay Pride Parade drew
30,000 revelers.