Taiwan's ruling party has introduced legislation that would create Asia's first-ever law allowing same-sex marriage.

The bill unveiled Thursday by the Cabinet would grant gay and lesbian couples the same legal protections as heterosexual married couples, including the right to adopt children and inheritance.

The proposed law is expected to be approved by the legislature, which is dominated by the Democratic Progressive Party, and is set to take effect in May to meet a deadline set by Taiwan's Constitutional Court, which approved same-sex marriage on the island in a historic ruling in 2017.

