Taiwan celebrates at east Asia's largest Pride march

STORY: Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019 in a first for Asia and is proud of its reputation as a bastion of LGBTQ+ rights and liberalism.

The rainy streets of central Taipei were packed for the annual parade, the 20th since it began and included go-go dancers and drag queens on the back of colorfully decorated trucks.

Organizers put the number of attendees at 120,000.

“We have to let them know that we are always here speaking up for ourselves, but all we really hope for is to be seen,” said production industry worker Chen Chi-chi.

Taiwan's openness on LGBTQ+ issues stands in marked contrast with its giant neighbor China, which has been ramping up military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over the island.

While same sex relations are not illegal in China, same sex marriage is, and the government has been cracking down on depictions of LGBTQ+ people in the media and on the community's use of social media.