Exclusive | Why gay civil servant Angus Leung took on the Hong Kong government to claim for spousal benefits
A death at sea and a billboard declaring government’s commitment to equality motivated the senior immigration officer to fight for a ‘very local issue … an issue that could affect your neighbour’s son’
There were a few triggers for gay civil servant Angus Leung Chun-kwong’s decision to take his employer – the city’s biggest paymaster – to court three years ago to claim for spousal benefits.
One was the sudden disappearance of a gay friend’s long-time partner, who was eventually found to have died in an accident at sea.
Leung’s friend only learned about it the hard way – from reading the news. Their relationship had been a well-kept secret and in the torturous period that followed, the friend checked funeral parlour websites every day to see when he could bid his lover farewell.
The lover’s family eventually accepted Leung’s friend but the incident still affected him deeply.
“I know a lot of people who have yet to come out, and they have encountered a lot of problems,” said Leung, who was well-spoken and sported an unmissable rainbow watch band.
“So for us, who are blessed with our family’s support, I feel like I can take a step further to fight for equality for all of us.”