HONG KONG: The city’s legislature will vote on Wednesday whether to grant limited rights to same-sex couples through a new partnership registration bill.
This proposed legislation would only recognise partnerships that were legally registered abroad, excluding local same-sex couples from obtaining similar recognition.
LGBTQ activists have criticised the bill’s narrow scope while pro-Beijing politicians have condemned it for challenging traditional family values.
Only about a dozen lawmakers within the 89-member council have publicly declared their support for the measure so far.
Amnesty International stated that the bill falls significantly short of international human rights standards despite Hong Kong’s self-image as a world city.
The city’s top court previously ordered the government to create an alternative framework for LGBTQ couples after rejecting same-sex marriage recognition in 2023.
Officials have emphasised that marriage in Hong Kong will remain exclusively between a man and a woman under the current proposal.
Registered same-sex couples would gain rights in medical matters and after-death arrangements under the proposed system.
One letter from a same-sex couple stated that the bill offers a much-needed layer of legal recognition and protection for their relationship.
Another writer asked lawmakers to extend the proposal to those unable to travel abroad for registration due to physical or financial constraints.
Hong Kong’s top three pro-establishment parties have condemned the proposal as contradicting traditional family values.
Same-sex marriage remains illegal in mainland China where social stigma against LGBTQ relationships remains widespread.
The city operates as a special administrative region of China with its own legislature and guaranteed autonomy.
Hong Kong’s political opposition and civil society have been largely silenced since Beijing introduced a national security law in 2020.
An annual LGBTQ rights carnival was cancelled in July after organisers were denied a venue without explanation.
The government received 10,800 public submissions on the bill with 80% expressing opposition according to official statistics.
Advocacy group Hong Kong Marriage Equality noted that approximately half of opposing submissions used templates indicating organised opposition campaigns.
One submission argued that people with ulterior motives should not wield equality slogans to threaten Hong Kong’s stable and harmonious society.
A 2023 joint university survey found that 60% of Hong Kong respondents actually supported same-sex marriage despite the government’s reported opposition figures.
Thirty Asian LGBTQ rights groups jointly called on the government to disclose a contingency plan and introduce a revised proposal if the bill fails. – AFP
