Taiwan: Over 50% of gay population experience abuse at the hands of a partner
More than half of Taiwan’s LGBT community say they have suffered abuse at the hands of their partner, a survey has revealed.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Modern Women’s Foundation interviewed 529 LGBT people aged 15 to 30 in October.
The survey found the most common form of abuse was control, which 51.2% of respondents reported.
49.4% reported incidences of stalking, and 24.8% reported attacks or self-harm.
The most common causes included differences in personal values, emotional displays, living habits, and jealousy.
Only 4.5% of respondents said they had sought professional help.
Frank Wang, head of the Graduate Institute of Social Work at National Cheng Chi University, said many in the LGBT community consider their partners “more important than life itself.”
The Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association added many LGBT people were afraid to seek professional help for fear of being “outed.”
An online poll released earlier this month showed 68% of people in Taiwan back same-sex marriage.
It came after a coalition of over 120 gay rights groups campaigned outside the Taiwanese parliament last month, as well as a Pride march which drew tens of thousands just a few days earlier.
The equal marriage bill, proposed by Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers, has been stalled by the Parliament’s judiciary committee since October last year.
Last month, six same-sex couples in Taiwan had their marriages rejected after attempting to register en masse.
