Hong Kong LGBTQ residents await action after bill veto
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
A year after the Legislative Council rejected a government bill that would have offered limited recognition to same-sex couples, members of Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community say they remain in limbo and have seen momentum slow. The government is still considering how to protect same-sex couples’ rights through administrative measures after the veto.
Key Points
- Isaac Yick, 51, said he was “disappointed but not surprised” when the Legislative Council vetoed the government’s same-sex partnership bill a year ago.
- Yick was born and raised in Hong Kong, later moved to Canada, married his husband there, and returned to the city with him in 2013.
- He said earlier court victories, including a 2019 landmark ruling on spousal benefits for same-sex couples, had created a sense that change was possible.
- Optimism rose after the Court of Final Appeal ruled in 2023 that the government had a positive obligation to recognise same-sex partnerships in Hong Kong.
- Jerome Yau, chief executive of Aids Concern and a former co-founder of Hong Kong Marriage Equality, said one year on the government still had not announced its next step.
Why It Matters
For same-sex couples in Hong Kong, the failed bill has left legal recognition unresolved even after a top court ruling pointed to a duty to act. Until the government sets out an administrative alternative, affected residents and advocacy groups say they remain in a holding pattern with greater uncertainty over the pace of change.