On a sunny day in a park in Taipei, photographer Austin Haung advises a same-sex couple on how to pose for a pre-wedding photo shoot. For him, Taiwan's reputation as a beacon of liberalism in the region means a thriving business.
"Our clients are mostly same-sex couples from overseas, including Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Malaysia," said 32-year-old Haung, who hopes to turn his side job into a full-time business targeting homosexual newlyweds from across the region.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Lin Chinxuan (center left), 29, holds his boyfriend Austin's face to demonstrate for their clients during a pre-wedding photoshoot.
"They said Taiwan is a reassuring place to do the shoot...If they do this in their own country, they worry about being identified or people raising eyebrows," he said.
In Asia's first such ruling, Taiwan's constitutional court declared in May last year that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry, and set a two-year deadline for legalisation.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Lin holds a reflector as Austin photographs Kao Shaochun (left) and John Sugden during their pre-wedding photoshoot.
On Saturday, Taiwan will hold a series of public votes on whether its civil law should now recognise same-sex marriage, after its election authority approved contradicting referendum petitions from both conservative and rights groups.
The issue has divided Taiwan, at family dining room tables, online and on the streets, with large-scale rallies
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Lin feeds Austin a dessert.
Haung, who is gay, plans to vote for same-sex marriage, but his mother Zeng, in her early 60s, staunchly objects. In fact, she has rallied relatives and friends to support the opposing referendum that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
"There's no need to protect gay marriage. If so, there will be more homosexuals in society," she said. "The younger generation has their own ideas, but I disagree regardless of what they say."
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Winson Lo, 44, is the owner of T-Kingdom, a company that makes chest binders. "I started binding my chest during high school. In those days, we could only use bandages, but some friends of mine who wanted it tighter would use tape. Using tape can hurt a lot, it's not comfortable and can smell bad. Because of my need for one, I started looking into chest binders and eventually started my own chest binder company."
Rights activists say the conservative referendum is "discriminatory" as it goes against a 2017 court ruling that current laws violate the right to freedom of marriage and equality.
The heated debate over whether to legalise same-sex marriage presents a challenge to President Tsai Ing-wen, who rights activists say has backed away from her promise of marriage equality in the run-up to elections in 2016.
. New Taipei City, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Du Yueting (right), 42, and her girlfriend Zhang Tongyu, 35, pose for a photograph at their restaurant. "It was a long debate between Du and Zhang over whether to paint rainbow colours on the walls of their restaurant. "I was really concerned about it...The public display of our sexual orientation can be quite controversial and I was worried that it might hurt our business," said Zhang. The couple, eventually, decided to go ahead. "We will serve those who are willing to come in our restaurant. For those who won't, we have no regrets for losing them," said Du.
The same-sex marriage votes coincides with Taiwan's mayoral and magisterial elections, a test of confidence for Tsai's government grappling with domestic reforms as well as rising pressure from China, which considers the island its own.
"I hope Tsai Ing-wen could undertake the leadership responsibility. The issue has been delayed for so long due to a lack of policy direction from the ruling party," said Jennifer Lu, co-ordinator of the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan.
"The government should protect the rights of marriage for all Taiwanese."
. Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Leong Guzifer (left), 30, and Ting Tseyen, 27, take part in a rally to support the upcoming same-sex marriage referendum. Leong and Ting are an openly-gay couple and are planning to get married in May next year. They started Shin's Jam & Pastry Collection together over a year ago making rainbow coloured jams and scones.
Taiwan's capital Taipei has a celebrated annual gay pride parade that showcases the vibrancy of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The one-week celebration in October, largest in the region, contributed more than $3.3 million to the economy, according to daily Taipei Times.
LGBT-related businesses are thriving in Taiwan where liberal attitude has earned it a reputation as Asia's "gay capital".
it a reputation as Asia's "gay capital".
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang . Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Left: Yang Pingjing poses for a photograph. Right: Books lie on shelves at Gin Gin bookshop.
A hub for LGBT rights activists is the Gin Gin bookshop, which was raided by police in 2003 and 500 magazines seized.
"We have fought a long fight and now have loyal customers coming to our shop at least once a year from all over the world," said Yang Pingjing, one of the bookshop's owners.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Yu Nanxian at his sauna.
Located in an alley at the heart of Taipei with rainbow flags leading up to the staircases, the owner of a decades-old bathhouse for men said his business is now often packed and receives many customers from overseas.
"I'm not too worried about my business," said Yu Nanxian, owner of 24-hour Hans Men's Sauna. once a gay man, you will always be a gay man, no matter the result of the referendum."
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
A room inside Hans Men's Sauna.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
A bathroom inside Hans Men's Sauna.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Yu Nanxian stands in the laundry room of his sauna.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Yu Nanxian checks the shower room.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
John Sugden (right) and Kao Shaochun look at each other during their pre-wedding photoshoot.
. Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Leong Guzifer (right), 30, and Ting Tseyen, 27, pray.
. Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Leong and Ting prepare to bake scones in the kitchen of Shin's Jam & Pastry Collection.
. New Taipei City, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Du Yueting prepares breakfast for her girlfriend Zhang Tongyu to take to work early in the morning at their restaurant.
. New Taipei City, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Du kisses Zhang a goodbye.
. Taoyuan, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Du and Zhang wait at Chinese medicine clinic.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
Winson Lo, 44, the owner of T-Kingdom, cuts fabric to make chest binders at her studio.
. Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters/Ann Wang
John Sugden (left) and Kao Shaochun (2nd left) change their outfits before their pre-wedding photoshoot by Austin (right
