TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Huang Jie (黃捷) became Taiwan's first openly LGBTQ+ legislator after winning a seat in the Legislative Yuan during the 2024 national elections on Jan. 13.
Huang, 30, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected to Kaohsiung’s 6th District, per CNA. She won 51% of the vote, while her rival, Kuomintang (KMT) City Councilor Chen Mei-ya (陳美雅), received 42%, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC).
Huang entered the political arena in 2018, when she was elected under the New Power Party (NPP) to the Kaohsiung City Council. She left the NPP to become an independent city councilor in August 2020. In August 2023, Huang joined the DPP.
Huang gained attention as a city councilor for challenging the policies of former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the KMT. In a viral video, she criticized Han’s plan to establish a free economic zone and rolled her eyes after the mayor appeared to evade questions.
Reacting to the video, Huang said, “To be honest, I was not even aware I had rolled my eyes. It was a very natural reaction, as I felt our mayor was not capable of elaborating on his own policy.” She added, “It was aggravating … after the promises he made to the people of Kaohsiung."
The video earned Huang the title “eye-roll goddess” by netizens. “If the entertainment value of that exchange made the public pay more attention to the real issues, then it is a good thing. The important thing is me doing the job I am supposed to do,” she responded.
Regarding becoming a colleague with Han in the 113-seat Legislative Yuan, Huang called the two "enemies on a narrow road,” per UDN. She acknowledged that there would be big disagreements but said she "would not be afraid.”
In terms of her LGBTQ+ identity, Huang said she did not come out publicly at the beginning of her career. She shared her experience coming out in April 2023.
When Huang faced a KMT-led recall attempt in 2021, she said that some constituents criticized her for her sexual orientation. She admitted Taiwan still has room to improve regarding LGBTQ+ rights and encouraged people to vote for candidates who promote these values.
On Saturday, the DPP lost its majority in the Legislative Yuan, forfeiting 11 seats for a total of 51, while the KMT added 15 seats for a total of 52.
