KUALA LUMPUR: Two Taiwan women will be the first gay couple to have a Buddhist wedding as they push on with their effort to legalize same-sex marriages in the country. “We are not only doing it for ourselves, but also for other gays and lesbians,” said Fish Huang in a telephone interview with CNA. For the 30-year-old NGO social worker, marriage crept into her mind after watching a film about a lesbian couple faced with denial of spousal benefits and the death of one of them last year. “It's so sad,” said Huang. She plans to wed her partner of seven years on August 11 at a Buddhist altar in Taoyuan County in northern Taiwan. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Taiwan is optimistic that the move will help spur the government toward equality for the gay community. “We are definitely hopeful about the couples' wedding and it could be a great moment for Taiwan in getting equal rights on the table for all people,” Taiwanese lesbian Nok Shuen told Bikyamasr.com on Sunday after hearing the announcement. The couple said they would wear traditional white dresses for the ceremony. The first gay wedding in Taiwan took place in 1996, but no such ceremony has been held in a Buddhist temple.
