Nearly 200,000 revellers have marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colours and celebration as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalising gay marriage.

The island has long hosted the region’s largest pride marches but this year Taiwan’s LGBT community and its supporters had an extra reason to celebrate on Saturday. In May, politicians took the unprecedented decision to legalise same-sex marriages, becoming the first place in Asia to do so. More than 2,000 couples have since married, many of them taking part in Saturday’s festival.

“I am very excited because it’s the first pride parade after same-sex marriages are recognised and I got married,” said Shane Lin, who became one of the first to marry his partner in the days after the new law was introduced.

“I am very moved that people around the world are joining us,” he said.

Behind him passed a steady stream of colour, including dancers, unicorn floats and rainbow balloon arches.

“I support marriage equality because it is a basic human right,” Henry Wu, a heterosexual teacher who brought his five-year-old son to the march said.

“Taiwan made huge progress in legalising same-sex marriages … I feel very proud we are the first in Asia to do so.”

In the past decade Taiwan has become increasingly progressive on gay rights with Taipei home to a thriving LGBT community and increasingly large pride marches.

Organisers estimated that at least 170,000 people attended Saturday’s festivities. Read more via Guardian