LGBTQ Archives - Talking Taiwan Podcast

Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action Panel: Meet the Panelists Ep 306

Felicia Lin — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:09:07 +0000

March is Women’s History Month and in this episode of Talking Taiwan I’ll be speaking with the Angela Feng, the organizer of the Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action panel, a UN CSW69 Parallel Event that’s going to be held here in New York City on Friday, March 14th from 4:30pm-6:00pm. CSW69 stands for the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Also with me in this interview are the other two panelists Cindy Wu who’s been a previous guest on Talking Taiwan and Dr. Remi Duyile.

There are quite a few acronyms tossed around in this conversation so I thought I’d mention them upfront here like SDG goals, which stands for Sustainable Development Goals which were adopted by United Nations Member States. There are 17 SDGs because ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The other acronym you’ll hear is BPW which stands for Business and Professional Women.

The theme of the panel is how education and community initiatives equal empowerment. The session will dive into how education and grassroots programs can transform lives.

Angela, Cindy and Dr. Remi not only talked about the panel, and work of their respective organizations, but I ask each of the women who were their earliest role models who helped to shape who they are today, and to share about challenges that they’ve had to overcome in their careers thus far.

If you’d like to know how you can attend the Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action go to the Related Links section of this post to find the link to register for it on Eventbrite.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Angela Feng, Cindy Wu, and Dr. Remi Duyile are the organizers and panelists for the Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action Panel.
The panel’s theme is “How Education and Community Initiatives Equal Empowerment.”
The session will explore how education and grassroots programs can significantly transform lives, particularly for women and girls.
Angela Feng is the president of Soroptimist Taipei International, Girls Power, a female non-profit organization recognized by the UN and Taiwan.
Cindy Wu is a trilingual financial management professional, singer-songwriter, and motivational speaker, involved with the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW).
Dr. Remi Duyile is a Nigerian-American, a UN ambassador of peace, and the founder of Legacy Premier Foundation, a global developmental non-profit.
The discussion will delve into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how these goals relate to women’s empowerment
Angela, Cindy and Dr. Remi the work that they have done with each of their respective organizations
Angela, Cindy and Dr. Remi talked about their early role models and the challenges they have overcome in their careers.
The panel aims to provide practical insights and inspire action, moving beyond abstract concepts of women’s empowerment.
The women want to provide action steps, and resources to the audience
Soroptimist International of Taipei Girls Power focuses on education for young women, from elementary school through college.
The Legacy Premier Foundation focuses on financial literacy, and providing access to resources to underserved communities, and teaches skills that are needed in the market place.
The International Federation of Business and Professional Women works to create opportunities for women through promoting employment, and protecting rights.

Psychological Defense and Practices to Manage Stress for the People of Taiwan: A Talk with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo Ep 296

Felicia Lin — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:37:55 +0000

In July I sat down with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo (駱筱雯) who spoke at the Taiwanese American Conference- East Coast about Psychological Defense for the People of Taiwan.

Since 2020 Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has been reporting the number of incursions China makes by sea and air into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone. These incursions now happen on a daily basis and already the tally for this year alone has surpassed the total number of occurrences that took place last year in 2023.

Recently, on October 14th, just days after President Lai Ching-te’s Double Ten Day speech, China’s military initiated the “Joint Sword-2024B” drills, a simulated blockade which took place in the Taiwan Strait and areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan. According to Taiwan’s MND, a record number of 153 Chinese military aircraft were detected around Taiwan within a 25-hour period.

We’ve previously discussed China’s gray zone military tactics and civil defense preparedness, on this podcast, but just as important is something called psychological defense.

In July we brought Talking Taiwan to the 53rd annual Taiwanese American Conference, East Coast that was held at West Chester University. That is where I sat down with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo (駱筱雯) who spoke at the conference about Psychological Defense for the People of Taiwan.

We also got into a discussion about the related topics of trauma and practices to manage stress and maintain good mental health.

This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Dr. Lo got interested in psychological defense
What is psychological defense
The importance of the mind-body connection
Types of trauma: psychological trauma, generational trauma, collective trauma
What is psychological warfare
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s psychological warfare tactics
The impact of long-term stress
Post traumatic growth
Fight or Flight states
Strategies to deal with stress
The erasure of Taiwan by China

The Boba Guys: Andrew Chau and Bin Chen Bubble Tea Entrepreneurs Bridging Cultures for 11 Years Ep 288

Felicia Lin — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:05:39 +0000

Early last year I spoke with Boba Guys co-founders Andrew Chau and Bin Chen. At the time Andrew had just gotten back from visiting Taiwan and other parts of Asia, so it was interesting to hear his observations. Andrew and Bin shared so many great nuggets.

We talked about how they got started with a pop-up shop while working fulltime and how they continued to so even after they opened their first few stores Other topics covered include how Boba Guys weathered the pandemic, Andrew and Bin’s book called The Boba Book, and how they see boba as a way to bridge cultures.

What has Boba Guys been up to since we spoke? Lots of interesting collabs with other brands, and the release of a loyalty program called “Passport” which gamifies the experience through loot boxes instead of linearly earning points to redeem for a drink.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Andrew and Bin first met when they both worked at Timbuktu
How they decided to start a bubble tea business
Andrew’s recent trip to Taiwan and the other Taiwanese Americans he met up with while there
Andrew’s thoughts on Taiwan’s bubble tea scene
How they started with a pop-up shop
How they have not taken any VC (venture capital) money
The social costs and risks of being an entrepreneur
How other Taiwanese American entrepreneurs like Steve Chen and Kevin Lin mentored them
How Andrew does advising for the small business council and testified in Washington D.C. on behalf of small businesses
How they were working on Boba Guys Japan when the pandemic hit
How Boba Guys dealt with the pandemic
The biggest challenges they’ve experienced
The third wave of boba
The meaning of the word boba and how Andrew’s mom reacted to the name Boba Guys
How Boba Guys name their drinks
Their book, The Boba Book and how they choose their co-author Richard Parks
What happened when they went to Taiwan and tried to determine which tea shop invented bubble tea
The Boba Guys’ merchandise and aardvark mascot
The Boba Home Kit and how they created a boba kit that was on Williams Sonoma
How they teach people how to make boba online
How they have mentored other entrepreneurs

Michelle Krusiec: Acclaimed Actor, Writer, and Director Talks About Dealing with Institutional Racism and her Sources of Inspiration Ep 279

Felicia Lin — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 17:35:55 +0000

Last September I had the pleasure of interviewing actor, writer and director Michelle Krusiec. Her IMDB page displays an impressive list of acting roles dating back to 1992.

We talked about the different phases of her career starting with her one-woman show, Made in Taiwan, which earned her much critical acclaim. She wrote, directed and acted in it in her 20s. Then there was her first main character role in a feature film, Saving Face, a film that put her on my radar and so many others’ in 2004. In 2020 she portrayed the legendary Anna May Wong in the Netflix series Hollywood. Stepping into that role helped her to rethink the institutionalized racism that she’s experienced as an actor. Michelle also talked about her directorial projects, and expressed her thoughts on the SAG-AFTRA strike, and so much more.

March is Women’s History Month and so we thought this would be the perfect time to release the first episode of the Trailblazing Taiwanese Women’s series sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association, which was founded in 1988. To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How she got on the path of acting
The stereotypical Asian roles she took on early in her career
The struggles she’s faced in her acting career
How playing the role of Anna May Wong helped her to rethink the institutional racism that she’s faced as an actor
Her first leading role in a feature film (Saving Face)
How she grew up she didn’t see many people who looked like her on television and longed to change that
How Michelle prepared for her role in Saving Face by going to Taiwan to learn Mandarin
How Michelle prepared for her role as Anna May Wong in the Netflix series Hollywood
Michelle’s directing projects
Michelle’s one woman show Made in Taiwan and how it opened doors for her and got her a deal with ABC TV
How anti-Asian hate became more prevalent during the pandemic but was around long before
Her upbringing and how it impacted her early career
Michelle’s Washington Post op ed piece
How a fortune teller impacted Michelle’s adoption
The connection between Made in Taiwan and Michelle’s short film, Bite
Michelle’s short film Nian
Michelle’s thoughts on motherhood and parenthood
The writing/directing projects that Michelle is working on
Michelle’s thoughts on the SAG-AFTRA strike
Michelle’s support for SB 805, a bill that supported funding for nonprofit theaters
How Michelle was affected by the BLM (Black Lives Matter) demonstrations that arose during the pandemic
Michelle’s advice to others who want to pursue acting or directing
Michelle’s connection to Taiwan

NYC ART BRIDGE: How TAAC and CHATogether are Winning at Achieving Emotional Wellness Through Art Ep 258

Felicia Lin — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 10:55:51 +0000

The Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC) and the Yale CHATogether Group have collaborated on the NYC Art Bridge program. Several of the artists in residence at the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s house on Governors Island, Building 7B, which has affectionately come to be called the Taiwan house, have participated in the NYC Art Bridge program and created artwork for it. In this episode I will be speaking to Luchia Meihua Lee, the Executive Director of the Taiwanese American Arts Council, Dr. Eunice Yuen, Founder and Director of CHATogether, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Yale Child Study Center, and LuLu Meng one of the artists in residence at the Taiwan house who participated in the NYC Art Bridge program. We previously had Dr. Eunice Yuen on Talking Taiwan in episode 93 to talk about CHATogether (Compassionate Home Action, Together).

There will be a closing ceremony for the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s house on Governors Island this Saturday, October 28 at 2:00pm. As a special treat Talking Taiwan’s very own Executive Producer Kaju will be performing as the artist Rad Jet at the closing ceremony with a special guest, Rico Jones, six time Downbeat Magazine Award Winner,Tenor Saxophonist. If you are in the New York area we hope to see you there at Building 7B located in Governors Island’s Nolan Park.

Luchia Meihua Lee, Executive Director of the Taiwanese American Arts Council

Eunice Yuen, MD, PhD. Founder and Director of CHATogether, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Yale Child Study Center

LuLu Meng, one of the artists in residence at the Taiwan house who participated in the NYC Art Bridge program

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

The concept behind NYC Art Bridge and its connection to CHATogether
How NYC Art Bridge connects mental health with the arts
How graphic media, illustration and other visual art can be used as tools to discuss mental health
Through NYC Art Bridge there have been talks with the community, AAPI artists, a community art exhibition
The two community NYC Art Bridge events that have been held on April 29 at the Queens Community College and on September 16 at the Taiwan house (on Governors Island)
The CHATogether component of the NYC Art Bridge events and how it facilitated discussion among the audience
The three parts of NYC Art Bridge: 1) an art exhibit 2) workshop, artist talks, role play, conversation with mental health professionals 3) artist interviews
The purpose of the artist interviews
How NYC Art Bridge serves to bridge artistic work with child and family mental health
How art can be a powerful form of expression or communication without words
How CHATogether use theater as a medium to destigmatize mental health and make people feel more comfortable to talk about mental health
How CHATogether has components of drama therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy
How CHATogether and NYC Art Bridge will be presented at AACAP (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) on October 25 and what will be presented there
Pages from the graphic novel, Healing the Whole Family are displayed at the Taiwan house
The graphic novel, Healing the Whole Family, that was based on a New York Times article written by CHATogether member Grace Chiang
The illustration artwork of Elaine Shin (a psychiatry resident from, Northwestern University) is displayed at the Taiwan house
LuLu Meng, one of the artists in residence at the Taiwan house who also participated in NYC Art Bridge
How LuLu went from being a chemical engineer to an artist
LuLu’s background and childhood in Taiwan
LuLu’s family portrait artwork piece
LuLu’s NYC Art Bridge interview and what it revealed
The artwork LuLu created for NYC Art Bridge
LuLu’s reflections and thoughts about the CHATogether workshop on April 29 at the Queens Community College
LuLu’s artwork that has been displayed at the Taiwan house and what inspired LuLu to create them
What being an artist means to LuLu
The closing ceremony of the Taiwan house (Building 7B in Governors Island’s Nolan Park) will feature a performance by Talking Taiwan’s very own Executive Producer Kaju, who will be performing as the artist Rad Jet at the closing ceremony with a special guest, Rico Jones, six-time Downbeat Magazine Award Winner, Tenor Saxophonist

Taiwanese American Arts Council: From “Island to Island” on Governors Island Ep 249

Felicia Lin — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:59:52 +0000

The Taiwanese American Arts Council (TAAC) has been selected to be an Organization in Residence on Governors Island from May to October of this year. The Taiwanese American Arts Council’s house is at Building 7B in Nolan Park on New York’s Governors Island. There will be several artists in residence there. About 20 or 30 artists will use the studios there. Every month there’s something new to see and experience at the house. The art on exhibit is everchanging. Plus there are performances and other events. Altogether 40 artists will be involved. The Taiwanese American Arts Council is the only Asian organization on Governors Island this year.

In this episode you’ll learn about the theme of the house From Island to Island and what’s going to be happening at there in September.

Maxine Leu is a Taiwanese interdisciplinary artist who’s living in New York.

Her work includes environmental and cultural issues.

Maxine Leu’s Artwork:

Luchia Meihua Lee is the Executive Director of the Taiwanese American Arts Council.

Photo Credit to: Jessica Maloney

Ming-Jer Kuo (born in Taipei, Taiwan) is a New York-based artist. He had worked as an environmental engineer for eleven years and came to New York for art. He creates interdisciplinary visual art works based on his lens-based media experience, urban living interests and engineer’s analytic perspective.

Ming-jer Kou’s Artwork:

Sarah Walko is an artist, director, curator and writer. She is currently the Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Visual Art Center of New Jersey.

Sarah Walko’s Artwork:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

The Taiwanese American Arts Council’s house on New York’s Governors Island
Artist Maxine Leu and the inspiration behind her dandelion sculptures
Luchia Meihua Lee, the Executive Director of the Taiwanese American Arts Council explains the concept and meaning behind the theme of the TAAC’s house “From Island to Island”
Events and exhibits happening at the TAAC house in September
Ming-Jer Kuo’s background, what inspires his art, and what he’ll have on exhibit in the group show in September at house at the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s house on Governors Island building 7B
What inspires Sarah Walko’s art and some of her pieces that were on exhibit at the Taiwanese American Arts Council’s house on Governors Island building 7B

What Caused the Cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025? Our Discussion with David Yu Ep 220

Felicia Lin — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 23:26:37 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

In August the news broke that WorldPride Taiwan 2025 was no longer going to be hosted by Taiwan.

Less than a year ago, InterPride and Taiwan had celebrated the selection of Kaohsiung Pride’s bid over the Capital Pride Alliance of Washington D.C. to host WorldPride 2025 in Taiwan. The announcement about WorldPride Taiwan 2025 was hugely significant since Taiwan was the first country in Asia to legalize same sex marriage in 2019 and It would be the first ever WorldPride event to be held in East Asia.

My listeners will recall that we did an episode about this news last December with Darien Chen in episode 162.

What had happened to make Kaohsiung Pride and the Taiwan Preparation Committee decide to withdraw from hosting WorldPride Taiwan 2025?

In August I came across a tweet about the cancellation by Bi-Khim Hsiao, Taiwan’s Representative to the United States. She had tweeted an article written by David Yu, Don’t Sacrifice Taiwan in the Fight for LGBT Rights. The article had been published in Foreign Policy.

I reached out David and I invited him to come onto Talking Taiwan as a guest to discuss and reflect on what happened. David is Contractor CTO of an LA-based life sciences startup.

I also reached out to the Kaohsiung Pride committee, and InterPride for comment but have not received any responses to date.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:

to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity,
to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,
to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,
to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,
to reach out and work with women’s organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

David’s involvement with ITASA
The article that David wrote for Foreign Policy about the cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025, which was tweeted by Bi-khim Hsiao
How Taiwan won the bid to host WorldPride 2025 in November of 2021
How on August 12, 2022, the WorldPride Taiwan 2025 Facebook page posted an announcement stating that they would be terminating hosting WorldPride 2025
What’s been reported in the media regarding the cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025
The statement posted on the WorldPride Taiwan 2025 Facebook page regarding their termination of hosting WorldPride 2025
InterPride’s request that the event name be changed from WorldPride Taiwan 2025 to WorldPride Kaohsiung 2025, and the offer to use WorldPride Kaohsiung, Taiwan
How InterPride’s application for consultative status at the United Nations and China may have influenced to request to change the WorldPride event name
Should Kaohsiung Pride and the Taiwan Preparation Committee found a way to still host WorldPride 2025 in Taiwan
What is the loss of not hosting WorldPride 2025 in Taiwan
LGBTQIA rights in Europe
Europe’s views and dealings with China
How Guzifer Leong, Standing Director of Kaohsiung Pride (originally from Macau) was able to have his same sex marriage recognized in Taiwan, however his case does not change the precedent of Taiwan only recognizing transnational same sex marriages to citizens of countries where same sex marriage is legal
The parallels between Taiwan’s situation in the global arena and LGBTQIA rights within mainstream society
How China interferes with Taiwan’s representation internationally
How Taiwan has to compete under the name Chinese Taipei in the Olympics
David’s personal experiences at sporting events where Taiwan was not accurately represented and how he handled it
An inspiring quote about coming out, by Harvey Milk, a gay activist and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
How the Gay Games 2023 is being co-hosted by Guadalajara and Hong Kong and Dennis Philipse the founder and co-organizer of Gay Games Hong Kong has resigned
How to move forward from the cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025

Susan Chung: Talks About her Career in Mental Health and BIPOC Mental Health Month Ep 196

Felicia Lin — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 07:42:09 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

July is BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) Mental Health Month, which is also known as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, named for the mental health advocate who brought awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the US.

I’ve invited Susan Chung on to Talking Taiwan to talk about her career in mental health, and BIPOC Mental Health Month. Susan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, who provides psychotherapy specifically to BIPOC students. We also spoke about key statistics and research findings that inform us about the mental health of Asians, some of the unique challenges facing BIPOC communities and individuals, the racism that Susan has experienced as a mental health professional, and the importance of managing our own mental health.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:

to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity,
to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,
to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,
to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,
to reach out and work with women’s organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Susan got interested in studying mental health and social work
How Susan realized that there’s a need to have more Asians represented in mental health
Susan’s work with forensic social work and how it is different from social work
Susan’s work with survivors of human trafficking
Susan’s career path
Susan has worked with middle school-aged kids in addition to college kids
How Susan manages the impact that dealing with victims of human trafficking could have on her own mental health
How Susan continues to do forensic social work since moving from New York to North Carolina by accompanying police on raids
How Susan felt about being the only Asian-identifying therapist among Black-identifying therapists at the University of North Carolina counseling center
Work-related trauma that Susan has experienced
Susan’s work experience at the University of North Carolina
Susan’s experiences living in Irvine, California, New York City and North Carolina
In 2017, according to the Office of Minority Health, the leading cause of death in young Asian Americans in the US was suicide. Citation: Matsuoka, J. K., Breaux, C., & Ryujin, D. H. (1997). National utilization of mental health services by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. Journal of Community Psychology, 25(2), 141-145. doi:10.1002/(sici)1520-6629(199703)25:23.0.co;2-0
Susan’s research at University of California, Irvine about the higher rate of depression and suicidal thoughts amongst Asian-identifying students
The rates of reported and diagnosed mental illness are low for Asian Americans compared to Euro-Americans, averaging between 5-12% Citation: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=54
According to the nonprofit organization Mental Health America, Asian Americans are the least likely racial group in the United States to seek mental health services
Susan’s work in the children’s psychiatric department of a hospital and how many of the students referred to her were Asian, and none had voluntarily sought help for themselves
Challenges that BIPOC experience that could affect their mental health
Resources provided by Mental Health of America’s web page for BIPOC Mental Health Month
How the 2021 BIPOC Mental Health Month tool kit acknowledged that the Western medical model is based on evidence-based approaches (which can be problematic especially for BIPOC)
Susan talked about how her Asian-identifying clients often have psychosomatic symptoms that are indicative of a mental health-related issue
Mental illness doesn’t have to be about an illness or having a condition like depression, being bipolar, having PTSD, etc.
The stigmatization of mental health
De-stigmatizing mental health by changing the language we use or referring to it as mental wellness
How the pandemic has impacted people’s mental health and the research that Susan did related to this
Susan’s thoughts on the Atlanta spa shooting in March of 2021
Tips to manage and assess our own mental health
What can we do to support friends and family who may be struggling with their mental health
The racism that Susan has experienced as a mental health professional
The vicarious trauma Susan felt in dealing with a student who was the target of an Asian hate crime at UNC
How racial injustice and systemic injustice can affect BIPOC communities
Challenges faced by indigenous communities and how they may have some nonevidence-based practices that are therapeutic
While Susan has dealt with Black and Latinx students, she doesn’t want to make any generalizations about BIPOC communities or their mental health

Joyce Teng: The Struggles Facing Couples of Same Sex Marriage in Taiwan Ep 193

Felicia Lin — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 12:01:43 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

There are still struggles for couples of same sex marriage in Taiwan.

It’s been three years since Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same sex marriage in 2019.

My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan is Joyce Teng, the Deputy Executive Director of Taiwan Equality Campaign, previously known as the “Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan.” We talked what’s happened since 2019. Surveys and polls conducted over the past three years indicate growing support for LGBTQIA+ issues within Taiwan’s society.

However, there are still some additional struggles that same sex married couples experience as opposed to heterosexual married couples in Taiwan. Joyce also touched upon a few issues concerning transgender and nonbinary individuals.

She mentioned three areas in which same sex married couples face some challenges, the first being transnational couples; problems arise for couples of different nationalities when their marriage cannot be legally recognized in Taiwan; the second issue is co-adoption and dealing with Taiwan’s adoption procedures, and finally reproductive rights. It’s been eye-opening for me to learn about all of this.

These are all complex issues and many of them they could also pose challenges for heterosexual married couples in Taiwan. I only recently learned about a woman’s reproductive rights in Taiwan when it comes to freezing her eggs. We’ll include some articles on this topic in the Related Links section of this episode.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:

to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity,
to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,
to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,
to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,
to reach out and work with women’s organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Taiwan Equality Campaign was previously the “Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan”
How the rights of heterosexual married couples differ from the rights of same sex married couples in Taiwan
How heterosexual married couples and single individuals can adopt in Taiwan, but same sex married couple cannot adopt in Taiwan
Earlier this year there was a court case that ruled that one of the spouses of a same sex couple, could adopt his spouse’s child who had been adopted when the was still single, however this is only one case, and according to the law in Taiwan a same sex spouse is unable to adopt the adopted child of their spouse
What is involved with the adoption process in Taiwan and how it could take up to 3-5 years
The gap when it comes to reproductive rights for heterosexual women and lesbian women who want to freeze their eggs in Taiwan
Reproductive rights of same sex couples in Taiwan
How Taiwan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world
The government in Taiwan offers subsidies for heterosexual couples to do IVF but not for same sex couples
How birth rates in Taiwan tend to be low during the year of the tiger (February 1, 2022 – January 21, 2023 is a tiger year)
How Taiwan has changed in the time that Joyce has been working for the Taiwan Equality Campaign and since same sex marriage was legalized in Taiwan
Surveys done by the Taiwan Equality Campaign over the past three years indicate increasing support by the general public for same sex couples to adopt, do IVF
Surveys done by the Taiwan Equality Campaign show that over time more of the general public have indicated that they have friends identifying as LGBTQIA+; this indicates that LGBTQIA+ individuals are more willing to come out to their family, friends and peers
Surveys have also indicated that since the legalization of same sex marriage in Taiwan, LGBTQIA+ individuals are more comfortable to talk about their personal lives and spouses
The different types of survey questions asked to gage people’s acceptance of same sex couples in Taiwan
Whether the general public in Taiwan supports teaching school-aged children about gender equality, sexual orientation and expression
How attitudes and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ individuals and issues may be indicative of generational differences
The film Small Talk, a documentary film about the filmmaker’s difficult relationship with her mother who was a lesbian
If having a nonbinary “Digital Minister” in Taiwan, Audrey Tang has had any impact on the general public’s views or acceptance of LGBTQIA+ individuals
How there is work to be done when it comes to awareness and understanding of transgender and nonbinary individuals in Taiwan
The challenges faced by transgender and nonbinary individuals in Taiwan
The question of how transgender and nonbinary individuals would like to be identified on their identification cards/documents
How the Taiwan Equality Campaign works with local government officials
How Taipei’s MRT bathroom signs will be gender neutral
How Thailand may be the next country in Asia to legalize same sex marriage
Advocacy to support LGBTQIA+ activists in other Asian countries
How Taiwan can serve as a case study of how the legalization of same sex marriage has impacted society
Difficulties faced by same sex transnational couples in Taiwan
How the Taiwan Equality Campaign has worked with local levels of government to train civil servants how to deal with LGBTQIA+ identifying individuals
How the Taiwan Equality Campaign approaches local governments about implementing LGBTQIA+ sensitivity training

John Fan Pic Collage CoFounder: Creating Jobs for Taiwan’s Most Talented Since 2011 Ep 179

Felicia Lin — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 08:22:19 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

So much has happened since I interviewed John Fan, one of the co-founders of PicCollage back in December. PicCollage is an app that allows you to create fun things with your photos and videos. It is one of the most popular apps in the photo category in the app store.

We actually spoke the day after Talking Taiwan won a Golden Crane Podcast Award. It was a fascinating conversation not only about PicCollage, but about what it was like for John being in Taiwan when it was one of the few places in the world relatively unaffected by COVID at the beginning of the pandemic, and how it attracted COVID refugees that included some of Taiwan’s most talented influential diaspora. John also talked about how the startup scene in Taiwan has changed in the ten years that he’s lived there.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How PicCollage is an app that allows you to create fun things with your photos and videos
How PicCollage as a company that creates a variety of apps related to greetings, video editing, and wellness
The WOWSHI app inspired by Japanese washi tapes designed to mimic the tactile experience of applying washi tape, which can be a form of relaxation
The idea for the WOWSHI app came out of the realization that during the pandemic people were looking for ways to de-stress
How PicCollage was started 10 years ago and was initially designed primarily for the iPad
10 years ago apps like Uber, Instagram and Snapchat were still relatively new
How PicCollage was started in Silicon Valley but has much of its operations in Taiwan
John’s experience as a Taiwanese American having moved to Taiwan and lived there for 10 years
The challenges of running a business in multiple time zones
The advantages of running a business in Taiwan
The freedom and creativity in Taiwan
The popularity of bubble tea and cat cafes of Taiwan
How Taiwan is connected to and influenced by China, Japan and the U.S.
Taiwan’s kawaii i.e. cute aesthetic which has been influenced by Japan
Kawaii culture in the in the campaign for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian
How Bitmoji was created in 2007
PicCollage’s Silicon Valley values and Taiwanese employees
How PicCollage has offered its team members U.S. $3,500 to spend on learning about or getting training on something of their own choice
How PicCollage’s values are a mix from Silicon Valley and Taiwan: Always Be Learning. Be Proactive and Overcommunicate. Win As A Team.
How PicCollage has changed and evolved over time
John’s work experience prior to PicCollage
What it has been like starting and running PicCollage
How PicCollage values user feedback and has invited users to come in for user interviews on Fridays
What they have learned from user feedback e.g. the ability to save/back up the collages on their phone in the cloud
Artist collaborations with PicCollage have included collaborations with individual artists, Sanrio, and tokidoki
What it’s been like being in Taiwan when it was relatively unaffected by COVID at the beginning of the pandemic, and attracted COVID refugees
How Taiwan was one of the first countries to be aware of the threat of COVID early on in the pandemic and was prepared due to its prior experience with SARS
How Taiwan was able to maintain zero COVID cases up until April/May 2021 and attracted COVID refugees, like the founders of Rotten Tomatoes, Twitch and YouTube
The use of Gather and Kumospace as Taiwan has gone into partial lockdown and adopted working remotely
How has the startup culture in Taiwan changed in the 10 years that John has been in Taiwan
How software startups exist in the shadows of Taiwan’s two major industries: the semiconductor industry and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) industry or contract manufacturing industries
How Taiwan can play a role in the software industry
How people in Taiwan vs Japan and Korea, are more willing to take a risk and work for smaller companies instead of large companies and conglomerates
How the startup Gogoro has been able to get a lot of funding
How Appier went public in Japan
There’s been greater investor interest in Taiwan startups than in the past
500 Startups has set up a branch in Taiwan
How there are more VCs (venture capital) in Taiwan now
How there are more VCs investing in software
How Taiwan can excel in creativity and design
Pinkoi. “the Etsy of Asia” that was started in Taiwan
GagaOOLala, an LGBTQ+, “Netflix for Asia” that was started in Taiwan
How Taiwan needs people with senior level experience with product marketing, and engineering management, and this void could be filled by Taiwan’s diaspora or those interested in working with Taiwanese companies
How PicCollage is hiring

LGBTQ Archives - Talking Taiwan Podcast

Empowering Women Through Education and Community Action Panel: Meet the Panelists Ep 306

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Psychological Defense and Practices to Manage Stress for the People of Taiwan: A Talk with Dr. Hsiao-Wen Lo Ep 296

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The Boba Guys: Andrew Chau and Bin Chen Bubble Tea Entrepreneurs Bridging Cultures for 11 Years Ep 288

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Michelle Krusiec: Acclaimed Actor, Writer, and Director Talks About Dealing with Institutional Racism and her Sources of Inspiration Ep 279

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NYC ART BRIDGE: How TAAC and CHATogether are Winning at Achieving Emotional Wellness Through Art Ep 258

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Taiwanese American Arts Council: From “Island to Island” on Governors Island Ep 249

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What Caused the Cancellation of WorldPride Taiwan 2025? Our Discussion with David Yu Ep 220

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Susan Chung: Talks About her Career in Mental Health and BIPOC Mental Health Month Ep 196

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Joyce Teng: The Struggles Facing Couples of Same Sex Marriage in Taiwan Ep 193

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John Fan Pic Collage CoFounder: Creating Jobs for Taiwan’s Most Talented Since 2011 Ep 179

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