SDG5
You Are Not Alone in Gender Diversity – The 11th Tainan Pink Dot Kicks Off
The 11th Tainan Pink Dot series of events was grandly held today (May 17) at the plaza in front of the Future Venue on the Cheng Kung Campus of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The event featured exciting performances and short talks by BUTTER RIOT, Mua Gang, the NCKU Jazz Club, performers Chun Yen and RapShark, comedian RayRay, and Professor Yu-Ying Hu from the Graduate Institute of Gender Studies at Kaohsiung Medical University. Through a friendly and fun market, stage performances, and gender-focused talks, the organizers hope to break down homophobia and deeply embed the values of gender equality on campus.
Pink Dot began in 2007, when a group of Canadian high school students wore 50 pink T-shirts to school to support a classmate who was bullied for wearing pink. This action inspired others around the world to commemorate Pink Shirt Day or host Pink Dot events to stand against bullying and advocate for inclusivity.
This year’s theme is “Iridescent,” symbolizing the shimmering rainbow-like colors of bubbles. It represents the diversity and fluidity of gender, highlighting that like iridescent bubbles — which can be still, flowing, transparent, or vibrant — all states are valid and worthy of respect. “Iridescent” also reflects the freedom for individuals to dwell comfortably in their identity bubbles or to courageously break free and shape their own space. The image of bubbles appearing in groups reminds us that no one in the gender-diverse community is ever truly alone.
Student Tzu-Hang Yen, president of the NCKU student gender-friendly group To Lesbians & Queers Club, noted the challenges of hosting the event at a new location, including stage setup and power supply. He thanked President Shen Meng-Ru for the support that made the event possible. Yen expressed hope that the event would help participants explore various gender identities, emphasizing that gender has no fixed form. In a generation immersed in social media, it is even more important to affirm one’s own identity and respect others.
Student Yen also observed that many influencers and YouTubers often portray LGBTQ+ individuals as needing to be fashionable or attractive to be accepted. Transgender individuals, in particular, often face a dilemma as they lack a fixed model to emulate, leading many to imitate mainstream ideals of beauty. He emphasized, “But not fitting the mainstream aesthetic doesn’t mean someone isn’t beautiful. We should see gender as a fluid identity, like bubbles — each with a unique form, yet equally colorful.”
“NCKU has truly made great efforts toward gender friendliness,” Student Yen remarked. He highlighted the university’s inclusive environment, complete with gender-friendly facilities and diverse resources. This year’s Pink Dot featured 41 booths from organizations such as To Lesbians & Queers Club, the Gender Equity Committee, and the Garden of Hope Foundation, encouraging students interested in gender issues to take their first step in a fun, supportive environment.
Director Tzu-Fun Fu of the NCKU Library delivered a speech, stating, “Each of us is a unique individual with our own colors. The existence of gender diversity is an opportunity for us to learn empathy and understand groups different from ourselves.” She also shared that the library had previously organized 4 lectures and 5 film screenings focused on gender awareness to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on gender issues.
Professor Carol Strong, advisor of To Lesbians & Queers Club, referenced U.S. policies under President Trump, which she said rolled back decades of progress on LGBTQ+ rights. She shared how friends in academia were affected, unable to continue research on gender topics. “Thankfully,” she said, “Taiwan did not follow that trend. We’ve done well on gender issues, and we have the potential to do even better.”
NCKU has hosted the Tainan Pink Dot for 11 consecutive years, as part of its commitment to gender equity and the prevention of sexual bullying, in line with Taiwan’s Gender Equity Education Act. The event also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — specifically Goal 5: Gender Equality and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. Through education and cultural initiatives, the university aims to eliminate stigma and discrimination against gender-diverse groups and build a more inclusive society.
This year’s event was jointly organized by To Lesbians & Queers Club, the 2025 Tainan Pink Dot Preparatory Team, and the NCKU Student Association Gender Equity Group, in collaboration with various units including: the Gender Equity Education Committee, the Southern Region Gender Equity Education Promotion Center (Kaohsiung Medical University), office of Student Affairs, Counseling and Wellness Services Division, Center for General Education, College of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing and Atelier Future. In addition, 2 pre-events were held on April 24 and May 6: a film screening and discussion of the documentary “Small Talk”, and a “Living Library” event featuring transgender individuals. These aimed to narrow the gap between society and the gender-diverse community through real stories and visual narratives.
Pink Dot began in 2007, when a group of Canadian high school students wore 50 pink T-shirts to school to support a classmate who was bullied for wearing pink. This action inspired others around the world to commemorate Pink Shirt Day or host Pink Dot events to stand against bullying and advocate for inclusivity.
This year’s theme is “Iridescent,” symbolizing the shimmering rainbow-like colors of bubbles. It represents the diversity and fluidity of gender, highlighting that like iridescent bubbles — which can be still, flowing, transparent, or vibrant — all states are valid and worthy of respect. “Iridescent” also reflects the freedom for individuals to dwell comfortably in their identity bubbles or to courageously break free and shape their own space. The image of bubbles appearing in groups reminds us that no one in the gender-diverse community is ever truly alone.
Student Tzu-Hang Yen, president of the NCKU student gender-friendly group To Lesbians & Queers Club, noted the challenges of hosting the event at a new location, including stage setup and power supply. He thanked President Shen Meng-Ru for the support that made the event possible. Yen expressed hope that the event would help participants explore various gender identities, emphasizing that gender has no fixed form. In a generation immersed in social media, it is even more important to affirm one’s own identity and respect others.
Student Yen also observed that many influencers and YouTubers often portray LGBTQ+ individuals as needing to be fashionable or attractive to be accepted. Transgender individuals, in particular, often face a dilemma as they lack a fixed model to emulate, leading many to imitate mainstream ideals of beauty. He emphasized, “But not fitting the mainstream aesthetic doesn’t mean someone isn’t beautiful. We should see gender as a fluid identity, like bubbles — each with a unique form, yet equally colorful.”
“NCKU has truly made great efforts toward gender friendliness,” Student Yen remarked. He highlighted the university’s inclusive environment, complete with gender-friendly facilities and diverse resources. This year’s Pink Dot featured 41 booths from organizations such as To Lesbians & Queers Club, the Gender Equity Committee, and the Garden of Hope Foundation, encouraging students interested in gender issues to take their first step in a fun, supportive environment.
Director Tzu-Fun Fu of the NCKU Library delivered a speech, stating, “Each of us is a unique individual with our own colors. The existence of gender diversity is an opportunity for us to learn empathy and understand groups different from ourselves.” She also shared that the library had previously organized 4 lectures and 5 film screenings focused on gender awareness to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on gender issues.
Professor Carol Strong, advisor of To Lesbians & Queers Club, referenced U.S. policies under President Trump, which she said rolled back decades of progress on LGBTQ+ rights. She shared how friends in academia were affected, unable to continue research on gender topics. “Thankfully,” she said, “Taiwan did not follow that trend. We’ve done well on gender issues, and we have the potential to do even better.”
NCKU has hosted the Tainan Pink Dot for 11 consecutive years, as part of its commitment to gender equity and the prevention of sexual bullying, in line with Taiwan’s Gender Equity Education Act. The event also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — specifically Goal 5: Gender Equality and Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. Through education and cultural initiatives, the university aims to eliminate stigma and discrimination against gender-diverse groups and build a more inclusive society.
This year’s event was jointly organized by To Lesbians & Queers Club, the 2025 Tainan Pink Dot Preparatory Team, and the NCKU Student Association Gender Equity Group, in collaboration with various units including: the Gender Equity Education Committee, the Southern Region Gender Equity Education Promotion Center (Kaohsiung Medical University), office of Student Affairs, Counseling and Wellness Services Division, Center for General Education, College of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing and Atelier Future. In addition, 2 pre-events were held on April 24 and May 6: a film screening and discussion of the documentary “Small Talk”, and a “Living Library” event featuring transgender individuals. These aimed to narrow the gap between society and the gender-diverse community through real stories and visual narratives.
The 11th Tainan Pink Dot hopes to promote the concept of gender equality on campus through a friendly and fun market, exciting stage performances, and short talks on gender issues
The 11th Tainan Pink Dot joined forces with organizations such as To Lesbians & Queers Club, the Gender Equity Committee, and the Garden of Hope Foundation to set up booths, aiming to encourage students interested in gender issues to take their first step
In her speech, Director Tzu-Fun Fu of the NCKU Library stated that the existence of gender diversity is an opportunity for us to learn empathy and to understand and learn about groups different from ourselves from various perspectives
The 11th Tainan Pink Dot series of events was held at the plaza in front of the Future Venue at National Cheng Kung University
In her speech, Professor Carol Strong, advisor of the To Lesbians & Queers Club, stated that Taiwan has been doing well on gender issues, and that we have the ability to do even better
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