Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract/Objectives

In recent years, Asian LGBTQ+ culture and cinema have continued to develop, showing increasing diversity and globalization while gradually entering the cultural mainstream. This trend is especially evident in Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan. Taiwan’s legalization of same-sex marriage in 2019, the first in Asia, has provided a more open environment for LGBTQ+ film production and representation. Despite ongoing cultural and policy constraints in some regions, more Asian filmmakers are courageously engaging with LGBTQ+ themes. Through nuanced storytelling, these films explore love, identity, and human values within diverse cultural contexts, and have gained growing recognition at international film festivals, fostering meaningful connections with global audiences.

Results/Contributions

“The Closest Eastern Rainbow: Asian LGBTQ+ Film Festival” curated a selection of representative LGBTQ+ films from Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan, showcasing diverse interpretations of love, identity, and social realities within varied Asian cultural contexts. The festival successfully engaged students, faculty, and the general public, enhancing the visibility of Asian LGBTQ+ issues and cinematic works while fostering greater understanding and respect for gender and sexual diversity. It also highlighted the library’s active role in cultural preservation and sustainable development by using film as a medium for cultural memory and social dialogue, accumulating valuable experience in promoting multiculturalism and cultural sustainability and laying a strong foundation for future thematic programs.

Keywords

Asian LGBTQ+ Culture、LGBTQ+ Cinema、Gender Diversity、Identity and Belonging

Contact Information

黃如喜
yhhuang@lib.nthu.edu.tw