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Chi Chia-wei    

Taiwanese LGBTQ+ Rights Activist

Chi Chia-wei is a Taiwanese gay civil rights activist. In March 1986, Chi became the first person in Taiwan to come out as gay on national television, organizing a press conference to announce both his sexuality and his launch of a campaign to prevent the spread of AIDS/HIV. After meeting his current partner in 1988, Chi worked as the country's only AIDS/HIV activist, operating a halfway house for HIV and AIDS patients and advocating for safer sex among the country's LGBT community.

Chi began advocating for marriage equality decades ago, at a time when civic advocacy could serve as grounds for imprisonment in Taiwan. Despite the danger, he repeatedly brought his case for equal rights to the courts, and his persistence led to the Grand Justices’ constitutional interpretation ruling that required the government to legalize same-sex marriage, which took effect in 2019.

He is included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

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Chi Chia-wei Is on the 2020 TIME 100 List | TIME
Find out why Chi Chia-wei is one of the 100 most influential people of 2020.

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