Taipei Hosts Annual Pride Parade Just Weeks After Police Raid on Gay Bar

Taipei hosted its 24th annual Taiwan LGBT+ Pride parade on Saturday, bringing together tens of thousands of participants and international allies under the theme "Our Voices, Our Journey." This year's march combined festive Halloween energy with calls for institutional accountability following a police raid at the start of the month on a gay bar in the city's Ximending district. The raid triggered a public backlash over police conduct for which Mayor Chiang Wan-an issued an apology. Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao joined the procession this year to affirm government support for LGBTQ+ rights in Taiwan, which seven years ago became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.