“Taiwan has done a fantastic job at both equality and pandemic control,” said Chen Wei-chun, a 32-year-old bank employee who joined the march with a rainbow mask on.
“That makes us proud.”
Taiwan has recorded just 555 COVID-19 infections and seven deaths, the majority of cases imported, thanks to early and effective response.
Taiwan was the first to test arrivals from China in the early stage of the outbreak and imposed an “electronic fence” system that requires a 14-day quarantine for overseas arrivals and tracks their whereabouts via cellphones.
Taiwan last year became the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. This week, two women became the first Taiwanese military officers to marry their same-sex partners at a military wedding, marking another landmark for LGBTQ+ rights in Asia.
Organisers say more than 130,000 people marched through the streets of Taipei in the annual Pride parade, joined by major political parties including the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).