Taiwan Pride Draws 150,000; Transgender March Draws 3,800

An estimated 150,000 people joined the 24th Taiwan Pride parade in Taipei on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, themed "Our Voices, Our Journey," with more than 180 groups registered. The march left Taipei City Hall Plaza at 2:05 p.m. on two loop routes and ended at 6:40 p.m. About 3,800 people joined a transgender rights march on Friday, Oct. 30, from 228 Peace Memorial Park. Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, first in Asia. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and representatives of at least seven parties attended ahead of Nov. 28 local elections. Organizer chair Tai Yu-hsun said legalization had not ended stigma, linked the march to an Oct. 3 police search of a gay bar in Wanhua District, and called for a transparent investigation and binding policing guidelines. The city apologized and disciplined personnel; prosecutors were investigating as of Thursday, with guidelines to be developed with community input. Tai also raised HIV stigma and care needs for aging people with HIV. Attendees Alice Pan, Verena Leung, and William Tsai spoke for the right to love, bodily autonomy, and called the day "our gay Christmas day." Transgender march organizers cited discrimination and strict rules on changing legal gender records; a wire summary said they also sought an end to mandatory surgery for gender markers on IDs. Contested: No factual dispute found.