Chi Chia-wei is a veteran gay rights activist in Taiwan. In 1986, he became the first person in Taiwan to come out publicly on television. For over 30 years, he remained a solitary yet persistent figure, often seen standing on street corners draped in a rainbow flag, advocating for AIDS prevention and equal marriage.
"I am a veteran of this movement. I have the responsibility to stand at the forefront until the very end."
Impact
His persistence led to a landmark victory in 2017. As the lead petitioner in the constitutional case, Chi successfully challenged the Civil Code, leading the Constitutional Court to rule that the denial of same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. This paved the way for Taiwan to become the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019. He is widely regarded as the "Godfather of Gay Rights" in the Chinese-speaking world.