EDUCATION MINISTRY BROUGHT TO BOOK

Now closer to Thailand, Taiwan’s literary world has been full of anger from readers this month following protests by Taiwanese parents over a gay-themed children’s book.

Titled King & King, the book — originally published in Dutch and since been published in 10 languages — tells the story of a young prince who faces pressure by his mother to marry a princess. However, it turns out that the prince falls in love with another prince.

The Chinese version of King & King was added to a list of books that the Taiwanese government distributed to students aged six and seven years old. This sparked uproar among parents who protested outside the Education Ministry earlier this month.

This movement is however quite an irony in Taiwan, the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage.

While some of the protesters claimed that the book was brainwashing kids and that the government is trying to undermine the values of heterosexual marriages, the Education Ministry defended the decision on social media, stating that the book would help children to “recognise and respect differences” and promote a diverse society.