Schoolboys in Taiwan wear skirts to break down gender stereotypes

Male students at a high school in Taiwan wore skirts this weekend to break down gender stereotypes and underline personal freedom.

They garnered the support of President Tsai Ing-Wen, who said ‘what girls can do, boys can do too’.

‘Don’t the Scots wear skirts too?’ She also said, according to Taiwan News.

Boys wore skirts, earrings, and pro-marriage equality T-shirts at Banqiao Senior High School’s anniversary party on Saturday (11 May), the news site reports.

Photos on social media also appeared to show students and staff wearing skirts and posing with rainbow flags.

Local politicians questioned the principal over the skirt event, according to Taiwan News

Marriage equality in Taiwan

It comes less than a week before Taiwan’s parliament votes on marriage equality.

Taiwan’s parliament will vote on a same-sex marriage bill on Friday (17 May).

Lawmakers from Taiwan’s major parties met last week to discuss three same-sex marriage bills currently under consideration.

Parliament is scrambling to enact legislation ahead of 24 May. This is the deadline set by the country’s Constitutional Court when it ruled Taiwan’s Civil Code was unconstitutional for failing to recognize same-sex marriages in 2017.

Referendums last year then dealt a blow to LGBTI people in Taiwan.

The majority of Taiwan voters voted to enact a separate bill to recognize same-sex partnerships rather than amend the Civil Code and enshrine genuine equality.

The cross-party group on Thursday agreed to anew law to recognize same-sex marriages. This is rather than amending the country’s Civil Code.

A separate marriage law would be in line with both the court ruling and the referendums.

Last week, both supporters and opponents of equal marriage held rallies in the capital, Taipei.