Taiwan LGBT advocate named top 5 youth activist in Asia by CNN

2019/12/30

Taiwan LGBT advocate Weng Yu-ching is one of Asia’s five leading youth activists for 2019, according to U.S.-based news provider CNN Dec. 26.
 
 A staunch promoter of LGBT rights since her teens, the 24-year-old Weng is a driving force behind nonprofit Taiwan Marriage Equality Coalition. She has participated in numerous demonstrations and lobbying sessions, as well as tirelessly worked to raise awareness of and support for the community.
 
 The efforts of Weng and her cohorts are largely credited as laying the groundwork for Taiwan to become the first country in Asia to achieve marriage equality. On May 17, the Legislature passed a bill making same-sex marriage a reality—a move earning Taiwan headlines worldwide and reaffirming its status as a beacon of freedom, democracy and human rights.
 
“I felt like, wow, we did something really great,” Weng told CNN. “People are accepting LGBT people more and more,” …. “I’m very proud of my country.”
 
The other four activists are Jocelyn Chau, 23, a district councilor in Hong Kong; Ridhima Pandey, 12, a climate change warrior in India; Yang Ji-hye, 22, a champion of feminism and the #MeToo movement in South Korea; and Ye Wai Phyo, a founder of Athan, an advocacy organization for freedom of expression in Myanmar.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)