TAIPEI, Taiwan — Sitting in the third row of a small chapel, Ms Liou wiped away tears of joy as her sister exchanged wedding vows with her new husband.

台湾台北——当自己的手足同胞和她的新婚丈夫互相许下婚姻誓言时，坐在一座小教堂第三排的刘女士拭去了高兴的泪水。

A few feet away, Ms Liou’s partner stood alone, maintaining their public charade of being just friends.

几步开外，她的伴侣独自站着，保持着她们在公共场合只是朋友的假象。

Ms Liou — who asked that her full name not be disclosed because she had yet to come out as gay — said she would feel more comfortable holding her partner’s hand or embracing her in a society that did not view their way of life as out of the ordinary.

因为还没出柜而要求不公开自己全名的刘女士说，如果能生活在一个不认为她们的生活方式不正常的社会里，她在牵着伴侣的手或是拥抱她时会更踏实。

If we could realize marriage equality in Taiwan, people in our situation could lead fuller lives, she said.

如果能在台湾实现婚姻平权，处于我们这种情况的人的人生会更完整，她说。

That day could be coming soon, although it is not assured.

那一天或许很快便会到来，但这也不是一件板上钉钉的事情。

Bills that would legalize same-sex marriage are moving through Taiwan’s legislative system, bringing the island closer to becoming the first place in Asia with marriage equality.

使同性婚姻合法化的议案已进入台湾的立法系统，从而让该岛距离成为亚洲首个实现婚姻平等的地区更近了一步。

Some predict it could happen early next year.

一些人预测可能明年初便能实现婚姻平等。

The political climate in Taiwan has never been more favorable.

台湾的政治环境从来没像现在这么有利过。

President Tsai Ing-wen, who took office in May, has spoken out in favor of same-sex marriage.

5月上台的总统蔡英文(Tsai Ing-wen)发声支持同性婚姻。

Her Democratic Progressive Party, which is largely sympathetic to gay rights, holds the majority in the Legislative Yuan.

她领导的民主进步党基本上支持同性恋权益，并在立法院占有多数席位。

Some cities are already extending symbolic recognition of same-sex relationships.

一些城市已经在扩大对同性关系的象征性认可。

In May, Kaohsiung became the first city in Taiwan to register same-sex couples.

5月，高雄成为台湾首个为同性伴侣登记的城市。

Shortly afterward, Taipei, the capital, followed suit.

不久后，首都台北亦效仿高雄。

This month, Kaohsiung issued its first same-sex partnership cards to gay couples, and the Taipei city government announced that it would soon do the same.

本月，高雄向同性伴侣颁发首批同性伴侣卡，台北市政府则宣布很快便会加入高雄的行列。

The deputy director of the Kaohsiung civil affairs bureau, Chen Shu-fang, said the cards would make it easier to contact partners in emergencies and for hospitals to include partners in medical decisions.

高雄民政局副局长陈淑芳表示，伴侣卡会降低在紧急情况下联系伴侣，以及医院在做出医疗决定时将伴侣考虑进来的难度。

In Asia, Taiwan is an island of relative acceptance for gays, lesbians and those of other sexual orientations.

在亚洲，台湾是一个相对更接受男女同性恋和有其他性取向的人士的岛屿。

In some Asian countries, including Brunei, homosexual acts are illegal.

在包括文莱在内的部分亚洲国家，同性恋行为是违法的。

The governing Democratic Progressive Party; the opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang; and the smaller New Power Party have each proposed same-sex marriage bills.

执政党民进党、反对党国民党以及规模较小的时代力量党均提出了各自的同性婚姻议案。

As of Friday, the bills were in the hands of a Legislative Yuan judiciary committee.

截至周五，这些议案都已提交至立法院下属的一个司法委员会。

Taiwan has considered marriage equality before.

台湾以前就考虑过婚姻平等。

Hsiao Bi-khim, a legislator from the Democratic Progressive Party, submitted a same-sex marriage bill in 2005 that was blocked outright.

民进党立法委员萧美琴(Hsiao Bi-khim)在2005年提交了一项同性婚姻议案，但该议案被彻底否决。

In 2013, a bill reached the committee review stage but stalled.

2013年，一项议案已经到了委员会审查的阶段，后来仍被搁置。

Now, Ms Hsiao said, things are different.

如今，萧美琴说，情况不同了。