By Maria Wilkinson

It's June which means it’s Pride Month. For most of the world, this month is a time for parades and rainbow flags. In Taiwan, pride is celebrated in October (nothing says spooky quite like queer representation). That just means we just get to celebrate for longer (from June to October).

I have now been studying at National Chengchi University (NCCU) for a year. When I first came to campus, I was wondering if I would be accepted for my queerness. Maybe you are also wondering the same thing as you start your first year here as an international LGBTQIA+ student.

I asked six international queer classmates three questions about being LGBTQIA+ at NCCU and the following are their responses.

▲Pride Flags on the way to the dormitories. (Photo Courtesy of NCCULRJ)

1.   Are you comfortable being “out” at NCCU?

A: Generally speaking, I feel the same way about NCCU the same way I feel about a lot of places in Taiwan. I'm comfortable being "out" and never feel the need to hide that I'm in the LGBTQIA+ community.

B: Based on my personal experience everyone can be who they want to be at NCCU. I have seen guys with make-up on their faces or wearing clothes that in other countries might be considered traditionally "feminine". Also, I have never experienced discrimination based on my sexual orientation. In fact, I have been able to go around campus holding hands with my current boyfriend and everyone has treated us normally and without any bias. I have also heard stories of other gay men that have been able to "come out" while studying here. They have mentioned that they have found a safe environment.

C: Super comfortable.

D: I am comfortable being out at NCCU. I would note that although universities in Taiwan are generally not as overt in their support of the LGBTQIA+ community, I have never felt uncomfortable talking about my relationship or experiences as a gay man with my classmates or professors. I would add though that I think my experience as a gay man is different than what other students might experience, particularly trans and non-binary students whose identities aren’t as well-understood or mainstream in Taiwanese society. However, I believe that for the English-taught international programs specifically, professors and students expect to be interacting with students from different cultures and backgrounds and this likely makes them a bit more open-minded and worldly than other faculty might be.

E: My answer is yes, and in fact, I am out to my department: classmates, professors, and staff.

F:  No, I'm not "out" at NCCU generally speaking but I’m also not going out of my way to hide it. I'm open about it with peers. For example, my Instagram where I add a lot of new friends can see my pronouns and gender identity. I’m not comfortable being more out.

▲Pride and Trans Pride Flag on Campus. (Photo Courtesy of NCCULRJ)

2.   Do you feel that NCCU is LGBTQ+ friendly?

A: Considering that my department, in particular, has a lot of LGBTQIA+ students, I feel relaxed in my classes but I wouldn't say that the space is LGBTQIA+ friendly- maybe LGBTQIA+ neutral?

B: NCCU is hands down LGBTQIA+  friendly. The university hosts a lot of events that invite LGBTQIA+  organizations to show their projects and even sell their products (such as rainbow flags). I remember last year that there was a guy from one of these organizations wearing a "doggy mask" and selling sex toys and condoms. Personally, I never expected to see such a thing on campus and this makes me feel and believe that there's so much freedom and tolerance here. When it comes to professors, I have never experienced any type of either preferential treatment or exclusive treatment based on my sexual orientation. All of them seem to treat me professionally and even I can talk with them freely about me having a boyfriend. Additionally, my current thesis project is on LGBTQIA+  issues and all the comments given by professors and classmates are highly positive and encouraging.

C: Yes, it is, especially due to classmates being friendly (half of our program is queer).

D: [same answer as question 1]

E: Yes, but this is me speaking as a foreign student, and speaking as an outsider. I have not faced any difficulty on this matter.

F: NCCU is LGB friendly, not TQ+ friendly. I’ve heard insensitive trans jokes from professors, and the blatant lack of knowledge regarding this is very apparent. I’ve also been in a situation where a peer "lectured" me on how TQ+ people are weird and I shouldn’t expect people to use gender-neutral language. I have also seen peers post online things that indicate maybe the TQ+ should not be part of Pride.

▲Pride Flag on Campus During October - Pride Month in Taiwan. (Photo Courtesy of NCCULRJ)

3.   How does LGBTQIA+ friendliness or lack of compare to your home country?

A: With the younger generation, I definitely feel a large shift toward a more positive attitude for the LGBTQIA+ community. The older generation in Palau are generally more conservative so although I don't feel threatened, I definitely don’t feel welcome either.

B: I'm from a city located in northern Colombia. Cities in the north of my country are culturally more traditional and also tend to be a bit more homophobic compared to those in the central area, where the capital (Bogotá D.C) is located. Additionally, it's important to clarify that in Colombia, same-sex marriage and adoption were legalized back in 2016, and since then, more people have become supportive of the LGBTQIA+ cause.

Now, when I was in college (2015-2019), let's say that my experience on the campus was extremely good. In fact, the university seemed to be a city within my city, a sort of refuge for LGBTQIA+ people. Everyone was open-minded, tolerant, and very respectful. We even had openly LGBTQIA+ professors and department directors.

But, of course, when you got out of the campus, you knew that you couldn't be 100% yourself in some parts of the city because you might hear hateful comments or even be bullied if you were alone at night. At that time, I was still in the closet, and my environment definitely had something to do with it.

In Taiwan, the situation is very good based on my experience. Perhaps it could be because of the traditional "culture of silence." People here wouldn't mind judging others in public or making derogatory comments. Does it mean everyone is open to LGBTQIA+ culture? No, but at least they will show respect and even treat you kindly regardless of their stance on LGBTQIA+ rights. So, as a gay man living in Taiwan, I have always been able to move freely and be who I want to be. I can go to gay bars and clubs, hang out with other LGBTQIA+ friends, and most of all, show affection to my Taiwanese boyfriend without being judged at all. Taiwan is definitely a 1000% gay-friendly place, and I highly recommend it. Here, hands down is the best environment to be who you want to be.

C: Compared to my previous university in Italy, NCCU is way more inclusive and open in terms of being LGBTQIA+ friendly.

D: I’m from rural Kentucky so I would definitely classify Taipei as much less anti-gay than my hometown. As many are aware though, different states in the U.S. have different degrees of access to LGBTQIA+ culture and I would put Taipei somewhere towards the middle of the pack in comparison. In general, though, I would say there is a community in Taipei (maybe not true for every city in Taiwan) that is welcoming to foreigners and is generally well-accepted among locals. I think NCCU specifically is lacking in the community aspect but, as is customary of Taiwanese people, very open and welcoming.

E: I would say [my country] is about the same as Taiwan, but this is coming from the context of the university environment.

F: My country is much more progressive when it comes to gender equality between the binary genders plus our language is gender neutral so usually, I don’t even have to out myself. In the cases that I do, it has never been a problem. I was very openly out in my previous university and it actually helped me make friends. Even though here I don’t ask for gender-neutral pronouns and language, my identity has been an awkward topic. I know I'll be out once I have graduated. Before that, I'm not willing to risk that my queerness could affect how I’m treated by peers or professors.

As you can tell, there are a lot of mixed feelings about the LGBTQIA+ environment at NCCU. Generally, you can feel comfortable to be yourself to your classmates but there is always room for improvement around campus.

For that reason, I consulted with the former head director of NCCULRJ (政治大學陸仁賈社), Leon Wong. This society is focused on LGBTQIA+ advocacy for students and is also concerned with issues concerning gender equality.

The society was established in 1995, during a time of intolerance or ignorance for the LGBTQIA+ community in Taiwan and around the world. It was created at NCCU to be a gathering place and community for students.

I asked Leon if he felt similar mixed feelings about LGBTQIA+ representation at NCCU. His response was that there is definitely room for improvement and that comes through education. NCCULRJ puts together workshops and seminars focused on queer and gender equality issues.

▲Different events held by NCCULRJ (Posters Courtesy of NCCULRJ)

Passed lectures discussed stories from those that identify as asexual, consent and the use of deep fakes, queer theory, and more. If you are interested in joining this society or staying up to date on lectures that are provided, you can like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ncculurenjia.

For all my queer friends and allies, have a happy pride.