Fulbright Prism Launches First Chapter in Taiwan

Yunlin County, Taiwan/10.31.19 — Fulbright Prism is proud to announce the chartering of a new chapter in Yunlin, Taiwan. This is Prism’s first official chapter.

Left to right: Lily O’Clery, President, Fulbright Prism Taiwan; Lilli Hime, Vice President, Fulbright Prism Taiwan

The chapter is led by Lily O’Clery of Gainesville, Ga., a second-year Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Taiwan. “My first year was absolutely transformative. I learned confidence, how to teach, how to connect with my students, and how to be a part of my host community on Kinmen,” O’Clery tells Fulbright Prism. “I am now a second-year in Yunlin County, a brand new site for Fulbright Taiwan, and I am already learning so much [anew].”

“Kinmen has the largest Fulbright cohort of all the counties in Taiwan, so it was easier for me to find several other queer ETAs,” O’Clery explains. “In counties with fewer ETAs, it’s harder to make connections with other LGBTQ  Fulbrighters, and harder still to find those connections within our host communities. This is why I’m thrilled Fulbright Prism exists and why I wanted to collaborate with them to create the Taiwan Chapter.”

“We are excited that Fulbrighters around the world are picking up our banner and supporting each other in their communities,” says Fulbright Prism President Tim Sensenig. “We know Lily and the new chapter will enthusiastically engage LGBTQ Fulbrighters in Taiwan in ways a global organization could not and look forward to following their successes.”

Same-sex marriage was deemed legal in Taiwan after a constitutional court’s ruling in 2017 — a first in Asia — and was signed into law in a bill signed by President Tsai Ing-wen this past May. Taiwan is widely viewed as having among East Asia’s most progressive attitudes towards the LGBTQ community, and with regards to LGBT rights.

On Saturday, Taiwan celebrated Pride with a parade and festival in Taipei. Oragnizers and local media reported tens of thousands of attendees — including O’Clery, who tells Prism she’d been looking  forward to the event. “I went last year, which was just before the referendum on same-sex marriage. Now with its legalization, the mood was positively exuberant!”

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