Love, Equality, and 180 Days

Founder of Taiwan Gender Queer Rights Advocacy Alliance and long-time LGBT rights activist, Pan Shi-xin, aka Lord, recently died at 47 years of age after complications from a giant spinal vascular tumor.

His 32-year-old gender-fluid partner Hu Sheng-xiang, aka Madam, stayed at Lord's side for the challenging last 180 days of his life, remaining true to his marriage vow - till death do us part.

In this episode, we discover what building a home means to LGBT people; why marriage equality isn't just a mere slogan but affects every facet of LGBT people's lives; and how, it's sometimes only in those last moments, that we can finally summon the courage to open our heart.

Host

Hu Sheng-xiang: Death awaits us all. No one can escape it. To my mind the cruelest thing in our journey through life is not knowing who'll go first? Dying is different from breaking up. Because in death the person vanishes. So, of course I still ask myself "I wonder how he's doing?" I want to tell him…I hope that he knows he doesn't need to worry.

Pan Shi-xin: I didn't receive much warmth as a kid. So I only have fragments of memories. And they're all bad memories. Because my father was violent towards me. While registering I told Mom that he's my wife. Mom seemed to half-understand. Actually, I don't know if she's aware I'm gay.

Mrs. Pan: I'm old. I can't change my ideas. I can't accept it. She said "Since someone's helping us to deal with this thing we should be grateful." "We should be grateful. We shouldn't make waves about things we're unhappy about."

Guest

Jason Hsu:In my freshman year I think I stayed together with a homosexual. I'd like to tell him that…My friend, I hope life's treated you well. And I don't know where you are but if you see this program it'd be wonderful to meet up again. On this path I've done my best to help and hope you're aware of that. If anyone asks me why I'm so concerned about gay rights it's because of those years when you introduced me to your world. You made me feel that your world is no different from any other.