Lesbian ordered to pay groom she left

Taipei, March 15: A judgement against a gay woman who married a man because of pressure from her family has sparked criticism in Taiwan as the island moves closer to legalising same-sex marriage.

The woman was recently ordered by a court to return around $16,130 to her husband after she left him for her girlfriend.

The ruling by the district court in northern Hsinchu said the money would compensate the groom for wedding fees, “betrothal money” and emotional pain that he suffered.

In Taiwan, it is common for the groom to give money to the bride’s family as a goodwill gesture to seal the marriage deal.

As the case surfaced in local media this week, online commenters voiced their support for the woman as it emerged her family had opposed her relationship with her girlfriend and urged her to marry a man.

“Same-sex marriage should be legalised so people don’t have to marry someone they don’t love,” read one message on ETtoday website.

Others called the judgement a symptom of homophobia.

“This kind of outcome is caused by anti-gay people,” said a post on the website of TV channel EBC.

Taiwan’s same-sex marriage bill is due for a final reading this year and the island would become the first place in Asia to legalise it.