Taiwan was the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, in 2019, and every October Taipei hosts a Pride march that has drawn about 150,000 people in recent years. Day to day, the city's best-known LGBTQ+ gathering place is the square behind the Red House in Ximending. The short version:
- Same-sex marriage has been legal since May 24, 2019, and married couples can adopt jointly since 2023.
- Taiwan Pride marches from Taipei City Hall in late October, usually on the last Saturday.
- The Red House square in Ximending has outdoor bars and cafes that have been a gay gathering place for over twenty years.
- Support is available from the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association, which has an English page.
The law
- Marriage. Same-sex marriage has been legal since May 24, 2019, under the act that implemented Constitutional Interpretation No. 748. Both partners must be at least 18.
- Adoption. A 2023 amendment lets married same-sex couples adopt jointly, under the same Civil Code rules as other couples.
- Foreign partners. Since January 2023, a Taiwanese citizen can register a marriage to a same-sex partner from another country, even if that country doesn't recognize same-sex marriage. Partners from mainland China follow separate rules: since September 2024 they can register only if they married in a third country and pass an interview.
- Work. Taiwan's Gender Equality in Employment Act bars employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation.
Rules for your own situation can be more detailed than this; check with the National Immigration Agency or a household registration office.
Taiwan Pride
Taiwan Pride (臺灣同志遊行) is held in Taipei in late October, usually on the last Saturday. The 24th edition was on Saturday, October 31, 2026: the march left Taipei City Hall Plaza in the early afternoon in two loops through Xinyi and Da'an and returned to the plaza, and Focus Taiwan reported about 150,000 people taking part. The nearest station is Taipei City Hall (Blue Line, BL18). The official Taiwan Pride site posts each year's date and route.
The Taiwan Trans March, organized by the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, takes place the day before; in 2026 it set off from 228 Peace Memorial Park. Taipei City has also run rainbow-themed bus tours around Pride, with stops including the Red House and 228 Park. → Festivals and events by month · What's on in Taipei
The Red House and Ximending
Behind the Red House (西門紅樓) in Ximending, the south square is lined with open-air bars and cafes that have been the city's best-known gay gathering place since the 2000s; the city's tourism site describes them as a symbol of Taipei's LGBTQ+ friendliness. The outdoor seating is open to everyone, and it is busiest in the evenings and at weekends. Nearby, the rainbow crossing at Ximen Station's Exit 6 was painted in 2019 to mark marriage equality. MRT: Ximen Station (Blue Line BL11, Green Line G12). → Ximending
Bars and clubs open and close often, so I don't list them here. Check a venue's own social media for its current hours before you go.
Support and information
The Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association (台灣同志諮詢熱線協會), founded in 1998, runs a counseling line on 02-2392-1970 in the evenings (19:00 to 22:00 on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and has English pages for visitors and for trans people. Its office is at 12F, No. 70, Section 2, Roosevelt Road, by Guting Station (Green Line G09, Orange Line O05), Exit 7. For emergencies, call 110 for the police or 119 for an ambulance. → Emergencies and help
How accepting is Taipei?
Public opinion has shifted fast. In the Executive Yuan's annual survey, support for same-sex marriage rose from 37.4% in 2018 to 69.9% in 2025, and 78% supported adoption rights for same-sex couples. A 2026 poll for the Taiwan Equality Campaign, worded differently, found 54.3% support for same-sex marriage.
Check for yourself. This is what official sources and established press said when I checked (November 2026). Event dates, venues and rules change; confirm with the organizer or the relevant agency.
Sources
Marriage and adoption: Act for Implementation of J.Y. Interpretation No. 748 and the US State Department on the 2023 amendment. Foreign partners: Taipei Times, January 21, 2023; mainland Chinese partners: Taipei Times, September 20, 2024. Work: Gender Equality in Employment Act. Pride: Taiwan Pride and Focus Taiwan, October 31, 2026; Trans March: Focus Taiwan; rainbow bus tours: Taipei Times, September 15, 2025. Red House: Taipei Times, 2007, Taipei Times, 2023 and Travel Taipei, Travel by Rainbow. Hotline: Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association. Surveys: Taipei Times, June 27, 2025 and Focus Taiwan, May 15, 2026. Checked November 2026.