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SCMP Reporter

Rights campaigners have suggested an annual 'coming-out day' for gays and lesbians.

 Human Rights Monitor, which said such events had been highly successful in other parts of the world, also urged employers to discipline workers who harassed colleagues because of their sexuality.

 The group criticised a new code of conduct drafted by the Government as woefully inadequate.

  The voluntary code was only 'marginally better than doing nothing at all', group director Law Yuk-kai said.

 The group argues it is in companies' interests to encourage gay employees to come out of the closet.

 It has suggested that companies issue a letter to all employees stating that gays, lesbians and bisexuals are welcome.

 Mr Law said: 'It has been estimated that fewer than five per cent of lesbians and gays are 'out' in the Hong Kong workplace.

 'The 95 per cent that have not come out spend enormous amounts of time and energy concealing their sexuality. This is frustrating and de-motivating for the employee and results in lost productivity to the employer.'  Referring to the new code, which follows failed attempts to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, Mr Law added: 'Voluntary codes, which can be followed or ignored at will, are inadequate. By failing to legislate, the Government is in breach of its obligation under Article 2 (1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.'  A spokesman for the Gay Coalition said: 'The code is written without a lot of insight. It assumes that gays and lesbians are already out of the closet and that is not really the case.

 'The code only applies to self-proclaimed homosexuals. The pivotal thing is enabling gays and lesbians to come out.'  The spokesman said a coming-out day would not work because 'people don't believe the Government or their employers are serious about protecting them from discrimination'.

 'The most difficult part of coming out is not the fear of getting fired, but what your friends and close colleagues will say when they realise you have been lying to them,' he said.

 Ousted legislator Christine Loh Kung-wai, who has lobbied for legislation outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, said the code might have 'some persuasive value, but that is about it'.

 'Without the force of law [behind the code] there is no remedy. For the worst cases of discrimination, there is no recourse,' she said.



Call for annual gay 'coming-out day'