The Taiwanese BL industry casually flexing Taiwan’s marriage equality muscles.
Taiwan is the only country in Asia where same sex marriage is legal.
Taiwanese BL would like you to know about it. And so would I, frankly. So here’s a chronicling of them flexing these well deserved (and hard earned) muscles.
History 2: Right or Wrong (2017) flexed first. At the time the courts had just put into effect that same sex marriages would be legal in two years, so the main characters plan to marry in two years. Then there is a flash forward scene of the two of them wearing wedding rings. This is the first example of two gay characters being legally married in an Asian BL drama.
Predictive flexing.
HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count (2019) the bridge proposal.
Craving You (2020) is half about a gay wedding and that wedding is depicted in the last episode.
We Best Love (2021) Flexes in season one and two, including an engagement.
History 4: Close to You (2021) has two couples flex in sequence and depicted the couple who got engaged in HIStory 3 getting married.
Papa & Daddy (2021) is much less BL and tunnels into being gay in Taiwan (rose tinted spectacles, of course). It showcases Pride* but also how the power of legalization and positive coverage by the mainstream media can broaden minds and guide culture from tolerance to acceptance. Legalization isn’t just so people have the same basic human rights and social protections, it’s so that non-queers realize that marriage equality is humane, decent, and good.
Be Loved In House: I Do (2021) a pretty near pitch perfect ultra soft BL that had the side dishes get engaged and it was so cute.
Love Is Science? (2021) ground breaking het romance where the main couple ends up sort of engaged but it’s the BL side couple who get the ultra romantic proposal in the end. Brilliant! Mark & OuWen will live on forever as my favorite disaster bi + confident gay pairing.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam…
Thailand
And Japan
ALSO Korea 2022 gave us, I think, their first depiction of gay marriage in any Kdrama at all in Cherry Blossoms After Winter.
*** Quick note about Papa & Daddy’s Taipei Pride footage because I think it’s super important:
Taipei 2020 - March for the World
in 2020 Taiwan’s Pride in Taipei was called March for the World. Why? Because initially Taiwan managed to control C19 better than any other country, they were the only place able to hold pride safely, so they did it for all of us.
I don’t feel like they got enough recognition for this.
