Most of the students who participated in the same sex marriage protests in Taiwan last week found it as a way to openly express their opposition to mounting pressure they encounter for those campaigning to legalize it.
This, after more than 100,000 protestors last week took to the streets last week to put a stop to plans in legislating same sex marriage in Taiwan. The students, who came out and joined the event, consider themselves a silent majority for fear of being punished in case they spoke out against the move.
One of the students, Wu Han-Lin, said that evidence of this conceptual shift promoting gender fluidity and same- sex practices are starting to become a norm. Sex education curriculums, according to Wu, are now leaning towards these non-traditional and populist ideas.
They call this the "rainbow terror" where they are being persecuted for their traditional beliefs regarding these traditional norms. They are feeling constant pressure to give in to these "new" mindset regarding same sex marriage and the like. They are also being bullied online by those who question their traditional beliefs.
Following the protest demonstrations, the move to legislate may still be an uphill climb for those espousing for a law to be passed allowing same sex marriages in the independent island state.
The demonstrations which drew massive crowds on Kaoshiung and Taichung, highlighted their opposition to the proposed legislation. Taiwan is believed to be the first country in Asia that was taking measures to pass a law allowing same-sex marriages.
The plan to amend the law allowing same sex marriage was Yu Mei-nu, a legislator belonging to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. She advocated for the amendment of the Civil Code to legalize the practice.
This, however, met bitter criticism and scrutiny from traditional Christian, Buddhist and other large religious groups. Chu Wu- hsien, a protester from a large religious group said that the move to legalize same sex marriage would only "destroy the values of the family."
"We oppose homosexual marriage being amended into the Civil Code because the family system comprised of marriage between one man and one woman is the foundation of society, and if you damage it, that will lead to marriage, family and the structure of society being completely wiped out," Chu added, who was also the spokesman for the protestors' group.
Meanwhile, a group of same-sex marriage proponents and LGBT sympathizers have organized a concert on December 10 at Ketagalan Boulevard to show support for the move to legislate same sex union in the country. They said that the concert was planned to coincide with the celebration for the World Human Rights Day.
