Documentary sponsored by MFARR-Asia highlights the complex journey towards family acceptance of same-sex marriage in Taiwan

This year, MFARR-Asia, a SSHRC Partnership led by Professor Peter A. Newman, has been working with Master of Science, Sustainability Management students at the University of Toronto. Under Professor Newman’s supervision, the students have been conducting multimedia research at the forefront of MFARR’s work on LGBTQ+ marriage equality and family acceptance in Taiwan — the first Asian jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage. FIFSW PhD alumni, Professor Desmond Chuang, at the Graduate Institute of Social Work at National Taiwan Normal University provided key support.

In February, the students — Valeria Widjaja, Jake Sajko, and Jordan Chang — presented their work to Yi-Peng Liang, the Director General of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office, hosted at the Munk School. Widjaja was also honoured with a 2026 Student Award under Newman’s supervision from SDGs@UofT, an Institutional Strategic Initiative (ISI) created at U of T to catalyze research that advances United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG10): Reduced Inequalities, and the promise to “leave no one behind” are among them.

The student researchers have also become filmmakers, creating a documentary to more broadly share the experiences of those who participated in their study and were among the first to engage in same-sex marriage in Taiwan. Professor Newman argues that sharing this research has become more critical than ever given the United States’ mass defunding of global programs supporting LGBTQI+ health equity and equality, and the promotion of homophobic and transphobic policies.

The documentary, After, Still. Navigating Same-Sex Marriage in Taiwan, will premier on April 15th at Imagine Cinemas Market Square in Toronto. The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with the researchers and filmmakers.

Write the researchers:

In 2019, Taiwan became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage; today, it is changing the world order by advancing inclusion and human rights of LGBTQ+ individuals across the continent and beyond. But beyond the law, the journey toward acceptance continues in everyday life, especially within families and long-held cultural traditions. Our team travelled to Taiwan to document these lived experiences, capturing powerful personal stories of love, identity, and resilience.

We’re so excited to share these with you through the screening of our documentary After, Still: Navigating Same-Sex Marriage in Taiwan, exploring the intersections of family, culture, and LGBTQ+ selfhood. Through intimate narratives, the film sheds light on how concepts like filial piety and “saving face” shape relationships and acceptance within families.

Tickets to the documentary film screening are available through Eventbrite.

Learn how MFARR-Asia’s research on LGBTIQ inclusion in Asia is advancing human rights

Visit MFARR-Asia’s website.