Nearly 3,000 same-sex marriages have been recorded in Taiwan since they were legalised

Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage last year.

Since same-sex marriage was legalised in Taiwan last May, there have been nearly 3,000 same-sex weddings. The figures were confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior.

Out of the 2,939 same-sex weddings to take place, 2,011 were between female couples, and 928 were between male couples. Most of the marriages took place in New Taipei City, with 614, there were 484 in Taipei City and 396 in Kaohshing City.

Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage last year on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (17 May). The legalisation came just a week before the date the Supreme Court had ordered the country to have taken action by.

More than 40,000 people took to the street in Taipei on Friday to show support for the new legislation.

The Democratic Progressive Party government “ordered its lawmakers to vote in favour of the bill drafted by Taiwan’s cabinet.”. The new bill was one of three proposed, but lawmakers felt it was the most progressive.

One of the bills that didn’t pass wanted to create a new type of union for same-sex couples, while the other proposed to call same-sex marriage “same-sex unions”.

Ultimately, the DPP’s more progressive proposal won through, which will now let same-sex unions be recognised as marriages and their partners as spouses.

Earlier this month, the first same-sex wedding took place in Northern Ireland. Belfast couple Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, became the first same-sex couple to get married in the country on 11 February, following the historic change in the law last year.

Robyn said: “Our message to the world on our wedding day is: we are equal. Our love is personal, but the law which said we couldn’t marry was political. We are delighted that, with our wedding, we can now say that those days are over.

“While this campaign ends with Sharni and I saying ‘I Do’, it started with people saying ‘No’ to inequality. By standing together, we’ve made history.”

Sharni added: “We feel humbled that our wedding is a landmark moment for equal rights in Northern Ireland. We didn’t set out to make history – we just fell in love.

“We are so grateful to the thousands of people who marched for our freedoms, to the Love Equality campaign who led the way, and the politicians who voted to change the law.

“Without you, our wedding wouldn’t have been possible. We will be forever thankful.”