Protesters opposed to same sex marriage have gathered outside Taiwan’s parliament on a day when the body amended Taiwan’s civil code taking a step towards marriage equality.

Some attempted to climb the fence around parliament, but police pushed them back.

“I am actually very worried about the future, because a country should be based on a system of one male one female, one husband one wife. This has been our basic national construction for a long time,” said one opponent of the revised law.

Fantastic news as marriage equality gets closer in Taiwan. #Taiwan #LGBT #MarriageEquality #NoH8 #LoveIsLove pic.twitter.com/1pcwEWd1×1— StuartChen-Hayes陳海思鐸 (@SChenHayes) December 26, 2016


Supporters of the reforms also demonstrated, but in a separate area as police were at pains to keep the groups apart, and organisers wanted to avoid any clashes.

“I think mutual love between humans is very natural, so I was never able to understand why people who love each other should not be able to get married, just because they like men or like women or because they are transgender and so on. I think we should stand up,” said a supporter of gay marriage.

Parliament is not expected to return to the issue until next year. Homosexuals are not currently allowed to legally marry on the island.

Some opposing any change say the issue is so important it needs to be decided in a referendum.