TAIPEI, Taiwan –

In a major step toward making Taiwan the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, the Legislative Council approved the amendments to the Civil Code on Monday.

After three hours of deliberation, the Judiciary and Organic Law and Regulation Committee approved the amendment proposed by the DPP legislator Yu Mei-woo.

The Commission rejected the most controversial provisions of the proposed amendment, replacing the words “both parties” in the Marriage section of the Civil Code with “both parties”.

The Commission added the sentence to the original provision, which stipulated that “both men and women should marry in their own rope agreement”; and agreed that marriage in same-sex marriage agreement should be by both parties in their own rope.

The Committee also endorsed a provision guaranteeing the equal application of spouse and parental rights to heterosexual and same-sex couples.

The addition to Article 1079-1 — the clause governing adoptions — prohibits a court from rejecting an application to adopt on the basis of the applicants’ sexual orientation.

The amendment also raised the legal ages for women to get engaged and married, making them equal with those for men.

Under current laws, women can get engaged at 15 and marry at 16, while men can get engaged at 17 and married at 18

The committee’s changes still need to pass through a round cross-party negotiations and a second and third reading in the Legislature before the amendments can be made into law.

“About six months ago, the bill could go through the legislature and take effect … In the meantime, we must continue to advocate, communicate and try to reach and create greater mutual understanding of society,” Yu said Monday Session.

“The bill will be sent for cross-party negotiations,” said Yu, who serves as the convener of the Justice and Organic Law and Regulation Commission.

Discussions of the controversial bill are not expected to take place until April or May next year as the legislature is about to adjourn before the start of the new session in February.

Citizens’ groups that support and oppose same-sex marriages gather outside the Legislative Yuan on Monday morning before they are reviewed.

“This is not the end of the world,” Yu said, who met the impressively.

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