“Taiwan, this is for you!” Nymphia Wind’s victory and the human rights situation in Taiwan

Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind made global media headlines when she was crowned the winner of the 16th season of the American reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, which was also awarded an Emmy. The victory of Nymphia Wind, whose popularity increased and was labeled as “banana fever”is a major event in pop culture and at the same time strengthening Taiwan’s reputation as one of the most advanced countries in Asia. The crowned drag queen dedicated her win to Taiwan, declaring, “Taiwan, this one’s for you!” https://twitter.com/iingwen/status/1781647972843049020 she also eats Taiwanese President Tsai Jing-wen (蔡英文) and incoming vice president https://twitter.com/bikhim/status/1781808011163714025 (蕭美琴). Taiwan has long been trying to “pink soft power” that is, reputationally benefit from yours strong LGBTQI+ inclusion and status the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Full equality At the same time, LGBTQI+ in Taiwan remains unfinished business, so Nymphie Wind’s success provides an opportunity to ask questions about the unresolved human rights issues that the island nation has yet to address.

What are the wider connections?

Taiwan’s drag scene has gradually consolidated its position in contemporary Taiwanese culture, from portrayals in director Zero Chou (周美玲)’s films to gender-inclusive beauty pageants for migrant workers to well-attended performances at venues near Taipei’s famous Red House. This is evidence of the enormous social transformation that has occurred in Taiwan in parallel with the country’s democratization. While during era of white terror was a queer community rudely suppressedTaiwan has developed into one of the most inclusive countries in Asia, where the majority of residents support same-sex marriage and some family rights for LGBTQI+ people. However, at the same time, there are still unresolved issues that prevent the full equality of the LGBTQI+ community, including transsexual rights.

Non-binary and transgender people still struggle with obstacles in the legal recognition of gender. According to Administrative Regulation No. 0970066240 issued by the Ministry of the Interior in 2008, persons applying for a change of legal gender designation must undergo psychiatric examination by two psychiatrists and submit medical documentation confirming completion of the operation to remove the reproductive organs. These requirements represent significant obstacles to obtaining legal gender recognition. Addition Taiwan does not currently recognize non-binary gender designations such as X.

LGBTQI+ inclusion is not just a domestic issue, it remains an important area of ​​cooperation between Taiwan and the European Union. In the years 2019-2023, both parties implemented EU-Taiwan Gender Equality Cooperation and Training Framework (GECTF), which has facilitated cross-sector collaboration between European and Asian stakeholders working together to promote LGBTQI+ rights, promote marriage equality policies, support multi-gender and anti-discrimination strategies, address barriers and future developments for transgender and intersex rights, as well as explore new challenges in anti-discrimination policy LGBTQI+. Individual member states also actively support the LGBTQI+ community in Taiwan – for example, the Dutch office in Taipei invited Miss International Solange Dekker to participate in the annual Taiwan Trans March in 2023, expressing solidarity of the Netherlands with the global transgender community.

Despite its “absurd” international status, Taiwan managed through normative appealsestablish significant, albeit informal, ties with global partners. For example The European Union recognizes Taiwan as a like-minded partnerwhich “shares value human rights“. It is therefore imperative that this country does not rest on its laurels when it comes to improving the human rights situation. Addressing outstanding problematic issues, including those related to LGBTQI+ inclusion, should be guided not only by normative appeals, but also by pragmatic considerations related to Taiwan’s efforts to expand its international space.