After rain comes sunshine – and rainbow.
The 2020 Taiwan Pride parade was Saturday marked by a blessing from the heavens as a color-appropriate rainbow arched across the sky at one point, beautiful in its own right, but on such a special day as if playing its part in a dream.
Especially so, as due to the outbreak of COVID-19, many LGTB Pride Parades are postponed in countries around the world.
Luckily, Taiwan is an exception.
Over 130,000 joined the parade and proceedings were broadcast live online for people who could not make it in this strangest of years, in what would be no exaggeration to call one of the biggest Pride parades on the planet.
The Rainbow Bazaar
The main parade began in the afternoon, but people started crowding the huge open space in front of the Taipei City Government Hall from early in the day.
The morning saw a big rainbow bazaar take place with over 50 different kinds of store and / or associations represented to allow people to enjoy the building – always “colorful” – atmosphere.
Before the parade started, the event MCs officially opened the event at noon.
The organizer this year, Lyu Sin-Jie threw out an issue to ponder – asking why people are still advocating for the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Though the law has been changed, equality can still be vague and formalities are hard to understand meaning that there is still a long way to go.
Additional issues related to gender have still not been cleared up by the current administration and require legal amendments and improvements before we truly are all the same.
Faces covered in “rainbows” clouds identities but concepts shine.
Official Rainbow LGBT Pride mask
Rainbow costumes and all kinds of Halloween costumes featured thanks to the calendar, but with one thought to the suffering elsewhere in the world and the potential spread of the coronavirus, people wore masks while marching – rainbow masks of course.
And although the wearing of masks covered faces and left identities vague in a move that seemed to alienate one person from another, with the masks covered in rainbows, the concept was clear, and the overall goal served to bring people closer.
Long long road, but we marched…
March Route on Google Maps
This year, people began the Pride route as normal from the Taipei City Government Hall.
Groups and associations participating were assigned into different ‘colors’ to match the six colors seen in the rainbow.
Over a hundred groups and NGOs made up a huge, winding rainbow when gathered and although it rained at one point in the middle of the parade; after the rain came the sunshine, and under a rainbow, everything felt just right.
After the march, and back at the starting point, those staying on were treated to a night concert and party featuring several artists and singers.
People sang and danced along with the music to celebrate the long road they’ve marched separately at first, and later, as one, to mark the distance already covered and the miles yet to be trodden.
“Beauty, My Own Way”
The theme for the day “Beauty, My Own Way”(成人之美) was one shared by over 100k on site and potentially millions watching on video stream around the world.
The virtue we should possess to this end is “成人之美”, in Chinese – which equates to helping others accomplish their own beauty, with respect the most important attribute in doing so.
Were you part of the rainbow in Taipei on Saturday?
Did you find – or find again – your own beauty in your own way after the 2020 Taiwan Pride?
We hope so.
Love wins
