letter to Human Rights Campaign -overseas support for Taiwan same sex marriage-
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Subject: Asking for your support for Same-sex marriage in Taiwan
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Dear [ ],
My name is ＿＿＿＿. [自我介紹] I am writing to ask for your and [機構名]‘s support in pushing forward with legalizing same-sex marriage in Taiwan. Yesterday [換時間] (Nov. 28th), nearly 20,000 Taiwanese gathered outside the Parliament, demanding Taiwanese government to legalize same-sex marriage by amending the Article 972 of the Civil Code. It is now a crucial time for the LGBTQ community in Taiwan since, as a pioneer for marriage equality, Taiwan may become the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in Asia.
I changed LGBTQ "group" to LGBTQ "communities" for the purpose of consistency throughout the document.
Taiwanese has been advocating for marriage equality for decades. In 2005, legislator Hsiao Bi-Khim first introduced the same-sex marriage bill. Through the 2016 presidential election, people elected the candidate of Democratic Progress Party (DPP), Tsai Ing-wen, as the president, who clearly promised to advocate for LGBTQ rights and the legislation of same-sex marriage during her campaign. After the election, we held the largest LGBTQ Pride parade in Asia this October, and same-sex marriage has become a cross-party consensus in the congress. As a result, the two largest parties in Parliament, the DPP and the KMT, along with the third largest party, the NPP, have introduced the bill to amend the Civil Code, aiming for legalizing same-sex marriage.
However, after the bills were introduced, a few anti-LGBTQ religious groups have begun protesting against the legislation. They spread hatred, fears, lies, and rumors against LGBTQ communities, who are only seeking equality and basic human rights. These anti-LGBTQ religious groups have also initiated lobbies in an attempt to stall the amendment process. Unfortunately, the Tsai Government has started to hesitate; they may opt for a "separate but equal" civil union law, which was a painful road in the U.S. history with the policy of apartheid. That is why nearly 20,000 Taiwanese took to the street protesting on 11/28/2016, a working Monday morning. The Taiwanese are yearning for real equality, not a sugar-coated law that perpetuates discrimination.
(As a bisexual Taiwanese-American myself, ) I hereby seek your and [機構名]support earnestly. Since [機構名] has done tremendous work for the LGBTQ community and has been an indicative organization in the world, your support would mean the world to us and the LGBTQ community in Taiwan. We sincerely hope that [機構名] would support us by:
a. Issue a public letter to urge the President and Premier of Taiwan to ensure that they pass the amendment to the Civil Code.
b. Join us in our gathering at [各地聲援活動]
c. Allow us to take a photo with you and our campaign poster. [約時間帶著template去找他們拍照]
We hope that you will consider the following statements when choosing to support Taiwan in achieving marriage equality for all people:
1. Taiwan is on the edge of achieving marriage equality, with bipartisan support.
2. With Taiwan's vibrant democracy, this step toward marriage equality has a symbolic significance in Asia. As a pioneer, Taiwan can show the world that marriage equality is possible in Asia.
3. The Taiwanese government may opt for a "separate but equal" civil union law, but the [機構名] should remind Taiwan that separation is inherently discriminating.
4. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This is why the [機構名] 's direct and firm support for human rights is needed to help eradicate the social injustice experienced by members of the LGBTQ communities in Taiwan. We ask that you join us in solidarity to help achieve legal protections for Taiwanese same-sex couples' right to marriage equality.
Starting with a press conference in Washington DC, participants more than 20 cities in the the UK, Germany, the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan (See attachment for detail) are gathering in the next two weeks to support the amendment of the Civil Code. We hope to convey our support to the Taiwanese LGBTQ community as well as legislators and activists who are still fighting for marriage equality. If possible, we would also greatly appreciate the attendance of you and your friends at the [機構名] at one of our gatherings. [或換成當地自己的活動]
Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
xxx