Looking back at Taipei, the gay capital of Asia
The other day, while doing one of our periodic stock checks, I found that we’re very low on ‘Elska Taipei’, meaning it is bound to be the next issue to be retired. It got me thinking about how glad I was to get to visit there, how much I’d love to return, and also how happy I am to have put even a little bit more spotlight on Taiwan.
As the first and still-only country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, it’s hard to dispute that Taiwan is the gay capital of Asia. However, the country’s queer credo was not actually why I chose to come here for Elska. The simple unromantic truth is that my friend Matt found a really cheap flight there, under £300 return. Before then I’d shot only in Europe due to costs, but this was my chance to go further afield, and it almost didn’t matter where it was. The fact that I’d read articles touting it as the next front line in gay liberation was just a bonus.
When I got to Taiwan, the spirit was undeniable. Until Taipei, finding guys to participate in Elska took some effort, but for the first time we had more guys wanting to get involved than we had room for. They were excited about what we were doing, and excited to use Elska to show the world how proud they were of their country. In addition to meeting the guys for photoshoots, many were keen to personally show me what their city had to offer. I got tours of night markets, visits to various gay-run establishments, and even an trip out to the Beitou hot springs for an evening of naked hot tubbing, definitely a highlight — thanks, Justin!
The biggest signal I got that Taipei was a real gay paradise came after a shoot on the penultimate day of the trip. The subject and I were standing outside Sijiaoting train station, about to say goodbye, and he asked if he could kiss me. Now I’ve always been dreadful at reading social cues, especially in the romantic sphere, but I assumed he meant to give me a sort of peck on the cheek, you know, like they do in France. But instead he went for my lips, pulling my body tightly against his, and kissing me passionately. A different sort of French kiss.
After the snog he said, “I just wanted to show you that two men can kiss in Taiwan, even outside of the gay area, and nobody has a problem… See, look around, nobody is looking at us.” He was so proud of his country for this openness, and he wanted to prove it in the most indisputable way.
If you’d like to nab a copy of Elska Taipei before it’s out of print, don’t delay, there’s just seven copies left. And if you still miss out, there’s always an e-version available. I know it’s not the same thing, but at least you’d be saving a tree!
Liam Campbell is editor and chief photographer of Elska Magazine, a project that’s introduced readers to the bodies and voices of gay and queer men from all over the world. The fifth issue was made in Taipei, Taiwan.
