Kaohsiung is to become the nation’s first city to recognize same-sex partnership, albeit not in legal terms, as same-sex couples who are Kaohsiung residents can register their partnership at the city’s household registration offices.

Kaohsiung Civil Affairs Bureau Director-General Tseng Tzu-wen (曾姿雯) said that in the spirit of respect and good will, the city would unblock the city’s household registration and conscription system to allow same-sex partnerships a place within the system.

The city’s move is symbolic rather than legal, as civil law stipulates that only a man and a woman can lawfully marry, she said, adding that the administrative recognition is to allow same-sex couples a degree of psychological comfort before any amendment to civil law, she said. Dubbed the “sunlight registration,” the same-sex partnership registration is a non-binding statement that enjoys no legal status of any sort in terms of civil law. Read More