A farewell that moved a country
A couple for thirty-five years, strangers in the eyes of the law. A death in Taipei gave marriage equality new momentum.
On 16 October 2016, Jacques Picoux died in Taipei. The French-born teacher had taught French at National Taiwan University for decades and was well known in the city's queer community. His death caused great dismay and lent new urgency to the long-running debate on the rights of same-sex couples.
Picoux and his partner Tseng Ching-chao had spent thirty-five years together. In the eyes of the law, however, their relationship went unrecognised. When Tseng fell ill with cancer, Picoux was not allowed to have a say in his treatment. That right lay with Tseng's family. After his partner died in the autumn of 2015, he was also left without financial security: the flat they shared was registered in Tseng's name. According to friends, Picoux never got over the loss. They believed he had taken his own life almost a year later.
When his story became public, it caused outrage. The government of President Tsai Ing-wen, who had held out the prospect of opening marriage during her election campaign, came under particular pressure. The Taiwan LGBT Hotline Association asked how many more lives would have to be lost. Shortly afterwards, the governing Democratic Progressive Party introduced a new bill. Legislator Yu Mei-nu confirmed that Picoux's fate had touched many people and increased the pressure on her party to act.
The road to equality remained contested. In May 2017, the Constitutional Court ruled that excluding same-sex couples from marriage violated the constitution. Two years later, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to introduce marriage equality. Many remembered Jacques Picoux. His story had shown what the lack of legal recognition can mean for a couple – in decisions about medical treatment, in financial security after a death and in saying goodbye to a loved one.