Taiwan mass wedding includes first military same-sex couples

Military same-sex couples married for the first time in Taiwan on Friday, marking another first step for Taiwan after decades of LGBTQ restrictions.

Two lesbian military couples married in the ceremony, according to reports.

“We are hoping that more LGBT people in the military can bravely stand up, because our military is very open-minded. In matters of love, everyone will be treated equally,” Chen Ying-hsuan, an army lieutenant who married Li Li-chen, told Time.

Same-sex couples tie the knot in Taiwan military mass wedding https://t.co/HhcWuuJ8rK @ambermywang #Taiwan pic.twitter.com/VeZxJtWfcm

— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) October 30, 2020

Taiwan last year became the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, prompting mass ceremonies for couples ready to take advantage of the new freedom.

More than 4,000 same-sex couples have married in Taiwan since it became legal, with 69 percent of them lesbian couples, according to Time.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry described the marriages as “open and progressive” and gave its blessing, according to CNN.