<span style="color: #222222;">In a landmark first for Asia, Taiwan's Parliament today passed a bill legalising same-sex marriage.  </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bill would allow same-sex couples to form 'exclusive permanent unions' and would let them apply for a 'marriage registration' with government agencies.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The island's Constitutional Court had ruled in 2017 that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by May 24. President Tsai Ing-wen hailed the vote as a big step towards true equality that will make Taiwan a better country.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Australia and New Zealand are the only places in the wider Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Vietnam decriminalised gay marriage celebrations in 2015, but it stopped short of full legal recognition for same-sex unions.                   </span>