President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday officially promulgated Taiwan's new same-sex marriage law, which was passed by the Legislature on May 17 as a special measure in accordance with the results of last year's same-sex marriage referendum. Executive Yuan Spokesperson Kolas Yotaka remarked on the intense focus on the issue among local and international media, and thanked these outlets for their broad coverage.
The spokesperson also took the opportunity to forcefully refute rumors on social media that the government has sought to suppress reporting on protests against the same-sex marriage legislation and that related newscasts have been unavailable to the public. She noted that international coverage of the news has been positive, and reflects well on Taiwan's global image.
To further clarify the issue, Spokesperson Kolas explained that the Legislature on May 17 passed an enforcement act for Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748 (the official court decision ruling same-sex marriage a constitutional right) after three readings, which was followed by the president's promulgation of the act today, and that the law will take effect on May 24. Throughout the process the government has strictly abided by the results of last year's referendum on the issue by drafting and passing this dedicated legislation, leaving Taiwan's Civil Code definition of marriage unchanged.