Taiwan's First Non-Binary Official: Audrey Tang's Historic Journey
Taiwan's former digital minister, Audrey Tang, has made history as the country's first non-binary and transgender official. They served for eight years, advocating for digital democracy and transparency.
Tang, who identifies as 'post-gender' and accepts any pronoun, was appointed in 2016 by the pro-democracy Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). They co-founded the digital civic participation platform g0v and actively contributed to it.
In 2014, Tang provided the digital infrastructure that empowered protesters during the Sunflower Movement, helping them successfully challenge the government's course. They believe in rethinking democracy digitally and advocate for early media education. Tang's work earned them the Right Livelihood Award in 2019, making them the first Taiwanese recipient.
Five years ago, Tang described themselves as a 'civic hacker' and 'conservative anarchist' in an interview. Now, they serve as Taiwan's digital envoy, representing the island nation amidst threats from the People's Republic of China.
Audrey Tang's legacy as Taiwan's first digital minister and non-binary official continues to inspire. Their advocacy for digital democracy, transparency, and early media education has left a lasting impact on Taiwanese politics and global digital activism.
