What four secretly gay civil servants in Hong Kong feel about the government appealing against city’s landmark LGBT ruling

Government employees speak to the Post on condition of anonymity for fear of being ostracised in their places of work after ruling on benefits for same-sex spouses

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The ruling last week meant that employees in same-sex marriages were not entitled to the same benefits as their heterosexual colleagues. Photo: AFP Photo

Published: 10:02am, 9 Jun 2018Updated: 2:48pm, 9 Jun 2018

One week after an appeal court in Hong Kong overturned a landmark LGBT judgment, many in the city’s civil service are still struggling to understand the lack of support from their paymasters.

The ruling that employees in same-sex marriages were not entitled to the same benefits as their heterosexual colleagues came after the Civil Service Bureau launched an appeal against a lower court’s earlier ruling in favour of a gay senior immigration officer.

“Even if the government was not supportive, I would expect it to at least take a neutral stance,” said John – not his real name – who works in the Planning Department.

His view was echoed by Alice, also a pseudonym, from the Department of Justice, which helped the bureau with its appeal.

Senior immigration officer Angus Leung and his partner Scott Adams leave the High Court last December after attending the appeal hearing. The Court of Appeal overturned an earlier ruling which granted the couple spousal benefits available to heterosexual couples. Photo: Winson Wong

“The government should adopt a neutral position and leave the matter to the courts,” she said. “By appealing against the Court of First Instance’s decision, they have expressed their position … that they are actively siding against any form of equal rights or protection for LGBT communities.”

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