Suspected suicide of famous French professor has energised calls for same-sex marriage in the country ahead of LGBT pride parade later this month
On Oct. 16 French professor Jacques Picoux died after falling from the 10th floor of a building, months after his partner, Zeng Jingchao, died from cancer.
The lack of legal status of the 35-year relationship and the problems encountered by Picoux after Zeng’s mean activists are calling on Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to make good on her election promises of same-sex marriage.
A Green Party-Social Democratic Party Alliance legislative candidate in the January elections, Lee Yen-jong, detailed on Facebook how lack of gay marriage laws affected Picoux in the months before and after his partner’s death.
She detailed how Picoux was unable to intervene when Zeng’s family chose “extreme treatment” of his cancer. When Zeng died, their shared apartment went to Zeng’s family rather than to Picoux, as was his wish.
Advocate Chiu Hsin-yi also called out Taiwan’s marriage laws as the reason behind Picoux’s death, saying “why can’t the couple, together for 35 years, live as a legal couple and face sickness and death together?” on Facebook.
“They [the government] claim that Taiwan is friendly to homosexuals and fully support them, but they aren’t offering them any rights,” Chiu said. “As long as same-sex marriage is still not legalized, gay rights do not exist in this country and the other same-sex couples will continue suffering from discrimination and pain.”
President Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) made same-sex marriage part of her campaign and party members attended last years LGBT Pride Parade. However, her inaction has led some to accuse her of exploiting the issue for electoral gain.
On Oct. 16 French professor Jacques Picoux died after falling from the 10th floor of a building, months after his partner, Zeng Jingchao, died from cancer.
The lack of legal status of the 35-year relationship and the problems encountered by Picoux after Zeng’s mean activists are calling on Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to make good on her election promises of same-sex marriage.
A Green Party-Social Democratic Party Alliance legislative candidate in the January elections, Lee Yen-jong, detailed on Facebook how lack of gay marriage laws affected Picoux in the months before and after his partner’s death.
She detailed how Picoux was unable to intervene when Zeng’s family chose “extreme treatment” of his cancer. When Zeng died, their shared apartment went to Zeng’s family rather than to Picoux, as was his wish.
Advocate Chiu Hsin-yi also called out Taiwan’s marriage laws as the reason behind Picoux’s death, saying “why can’t the couple, together for 35 years, live as a legal couple and face sickness and death together?” on Facebook.
“They [the government] claim that Taiwan is friendly to homosexuals and fully support them, but they aren’t offering them any rights,” Chiu said. “As long as same-sex marriage is still not legalized, gay rights do not exist in this country and the other same-sex couples will continue suffering from discrimination and pain.”
President Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) made same-sex marriage part of her campaign and party members attended last years LGBT Pride Parade. However, her inaction has led some to accuse her of exploiting the issue for electoral gain.
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Reader's Comments
Equality is equality!
Hope the world follows ...
Together for 35 years. Well done to them. They never jointly owned their home?
It's a shame the prof didn't recognise his depression and get help. This is assuming his fall was suicide as this has not been proven.
How did the family change a Will without consent?
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aeco/201610170006.aspx
For everyone reading, spoiler alert, we all die. You might want to have a chat with your legal next of kin to discuss your wishes in the case of the inevitable and unforeseen.
Otherwise, "activists" might try to make something of your last days.
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