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Who could have predicted at the start of the year that pride 2020 would offer no official, physical parades? Because of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of events all over the world had to be postponed or canceled, relegating them to online performances if anything at all.
However, in one country, a small festival did go ahead: Taiwan in Asia. The country is known for being one of the more progressive in the region. It became the first to start carrying out same-sex marriages following a change in legislation in 2019.
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Taiwan has not registered a single case of COVID-19 in over two months. It has had less than 500 cases so far (most of which were visitors from other countries), and never went into lockdown although the population excelled at social distancing measures and the wearing of masks.
Related: Gay Taipei
The country has been praised for its handling of the pandemic, with a low number of infections credited to its early implementation of track and tracing procedures.
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The country’s official Pride festival doesn’t take place until October and regularly attracts over 100,000 people. However, to ensure that pride month 2020 did not pass without a single event, a grassroots rainbow gathering was organized for June 28 (the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising) in Taipei.
Participants marched from Liberty Square to National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in the heart of the city.
The event was arranged in conjunction with the Taiwan Gay Sports Association (TGSMA), and the theme was “Taiwan Pride March for the World!”
Several hundred people participated in the event, which passed peacefully despite rain. Those attending, besides having their temperature checked, were given placards and invited to write down the names of countries they wish to represent from around the world.
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Related: 19 amazing pictures from Taiwan Pride 2019 in Taipei
