“The Final Straw”: Taiwan Withdraws from Hosting WorldPride 2025

Taiwan’s WordPride Preparation Committee has withdrawn from hosting the global pride event in 2025 after global organizer, InterPride, demanded the event’s title be changed from “WorldPride Taiwan 2025” to “WorldPride Kaohsiung 2025.” 

Taiwan WorldPride 2025 posted on Facebook (translation from Global Voices):

“The final straw that led the negotiation to a deadlock was the abrupt notice from InterPride, requiring the name of the event to change from “WorldPride Taiwan 2025” to “WorldPride Kaohsiung 2025”. This is despite the fact that the name “WorldPride Taiwan 2025” was used throughout the entire bidding process: From the bid application and the bid proposal evaluation to the voting process and the winner announcement back in 2021.” 

Why did InterPride insist that TWP 2025 change its name?

Taiwan is a self-ruling island but China’s government views the democratically-governed country as Chinese territory. Taiwan participates in global events under “Chinese Taipai” to avoid political tension with China but, when it came to dismissing their sovereignty at WorldPride, Taiwanese people said enough is enough. 

InterPride landed in hot water last year when it referenced Taiwan as a region, suggesting it was not a country. Pressuring the event organizers to change their title to “WordPride Kaohsiung 2025” would mean that the southern city of Kaohsiung is mentioned, without acknowledging Taiwan as a country separate from China again. 

“After careful evaluation, it is believed that if the event continues, it may harm the interests of Taiwan and the Taiwan gay community. Therefore, it is decided to terminate the project before signing the contract,” the Taiwanese organizers said, according to AlJazeera. 

The event would have been Asia’s first WorldPride event. It would have generated discussions surrounding diversity. “Taiwan deeply regrets that InterPride, due to political considerations, has unilaterally rejected the mutually agreed upon consensus and broken a relationship of cooperation and trust, leading to this outcome,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said.

“Not only does the decision disrespect Taiwan’s rights and diligent efforts, it also harms Asia’s vast LGBTIQ+ community and runs counter to the progressive principles espoused by InterPride.”

Taiwan is “the vanguard of a burgeoning gay rights movement” in Asia. In 2019, it became the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. The island recorded 200,000 people in attendance at its 2019 equal marriage celebration. 

Earlier this year, a married same-sex couple made history in Taiwan when they legally adopted a child they were not biologically related to. The decision reflected Taiwan’s growing liberalism; the couple challenged local adoption laws in court and won the case. 

While same-sex relations are legal in China, same-sex marriage is not, and the government has been censoring homosexuality in the media, internet and social media.