News of the ruling spread around the globe, partially due to its regional significance: Taiwan will likely become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.

"This would be a good start for other Asian countries," Hsu said. "Everyone is looking at the development in Taiwan. Of course, every country has their own social context and their battles to win."

Hsu said she believed the ruling showed "there is no so-called Asian value" that prevents the region from accepting same-sex marriage.

"Some people think same-sex marriage is a Western thing, but I don't think so," she said. "Mr Chi Chia-wei [has] demanded the government recognise same-sex marriage since 1986. Holland, as the first country to legalise gay marriage, was not until 2001. Obviously this is not something from Western culture."

In a press statement issued after the ruling, the court outlined several reasons for its decision – in some cases, going beyond legal argument to offer a broader reflection on how same-sex marriage will affect society.

Same-sex marriage will not affect heterosexual marriages nor "alter the social order", and should not be denied just because same-sex couples cannot naturally procreate, the judges wrote.

"Furthermore, the freedom of marriage for two persons of the same sex, once legally recognized, will constitute the collective basis, together with opposite-sex marriage, for a stable society. The need, capability, willingness and longing, in both physical and psychological senses, for creating such permanent unions of intimate and exclusive nature are equally essential to homosexuals and heterosexuals, given the importance of the freedom of marriage to the sound development of personality and safeguarding of human dignity."

Hsu said the judges' statement addressed concerns made public by marriage equality opponents in the lead up to the court hearing.

"For a long time, in the past and even until now, some opponents insisted that if we allow same-sex couples to get married, then that would destroy our traditional family values [and] have that influence to the children," she said.



"I think [the judges] wanted to show that they believe the LGBT citizens are just like the heterosexual citizens in our society. We should enjoy the same rights, and be treated as normal persons."

Hsu added, with a laugh: "It means we are not especially dangerous, or have some kind of magic power to destroy this world."

