Around 100 members of Taipei’s LGBTQ+ community protested on Sunday (4 October) after police raided the Commander D gay bar in the Wanhua district the day before, prompting the mayor to speak out.

Police took 51 people in for questioning and arrested the bar’s owner on Saturday (3 October), citing a complaint alleging the bar could be violating public decency laws under Article 83 of Taiwan’s Social Order Maintenance Act.

According to the Taiwanese government’s legal database, Taiwan’s Social Order Maintenance Act prohibits exposing one’s naked body or engaging in a lascivious posture in a public or publicly accessible place.

One detainee said the gay bar raid “was very scary”

One person detained in the raid, identified only by his family name, Wen, told : “They raided the place violently. It was very scary.”

Protesters took to the streets of Taipei following the incident after allegations about officers’ behaviour during the raid.

One video showed a police officer allegedly asking a wheelchair user in a toilet how disabled people “manage to have sex in there”.

Protester Kang Yang reportedly said: “I’m not cool with ⁠this… This city used to claim that it was queer ​friendly.”

Mayor Chiang Wan-an said he regretted the raid

Following public criticism, Mayor Chiang Wan-an told reporters he regretted the incident and defended the city as “diverse, inclusive and friendly”.

“Taipei has always been an inclusive and friendly city for us,” he said, adding that the government must ensure equal rights for everyone in Taipei.

Puma Shen, Chiang’s election opponent, also commented on the incident via Facebook, highlighting Taipei’s upcoming Pride event: “Taipei’s diversity and inclusivity should not only be visible on Pride parade day,” he wrote.

Taiwan is widely celebrated as one of Asia’s most LGBTQ+ inclusive countries. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Taiwan since 24 May 2019, making it the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalise it.

It is also known for hosting one of East Asia’s biggest Pride events, taking place from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026.