Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) The Taipei-based Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association has posted a chatbot online aimed at offering counseling to members of the LGBTQ+ community conflicted about telling others about their sexual orientation.

Although Taiwan legalized same-sex unions in May 2019, traditional values about marriage remain entrenched in some parts of society, leaving gay men and women reluctant to come out of the closet.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the group said it has established chatrooms on Facebook and Instagram in cooperation with the two social platforms, where members of the LGBTQ+ community can converse with a chatbot to get advice on coming out of the closet -- a topic that remains taboo in many Taiwanese families.

The association said the wide range of content provided by the chatbot in its Messenger or Instagram chatroom can provide guidance and companionship to LGBTQ+ members during the process.

It said it was confident that based on experiences gathered from real-life stories over the past 20 years, the system could provide encouragement to and forge a sense of unity among those still hiding their sexual orientation from their families or friends.

Gay and lesbian couple influencers such as Fufuknows and Caca & Bella will talk about their lives with hosts in video clips that will be aired in the Messenger chatroom on Oct. 25 on the Facebook pages of the association and the influencers.