Opinion | Lawmakers' opposition to gay rights law shames Hong Kong
Albert Cheng says pro-government lawmakers' opposition to debate on gay rights law is an example of how conservative forces dominate Legco
It was a shameful day for the Legislative Council when the pro-establishment camp voted down a motion calling for public consultation on legislation to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The action of these legislators was a shocking display of bigotry and disregard for the public interest. The pro-establishment camp has effectively taken Legco hostage, disrupting some of its main functions that include enacting, amending and repealing laws, as well as monitoring the administration.
The proposal was put forward by the Labour Party's Cyd Ho Sau-lan. It would only have been the first of many steps to explore the issue; we are still years away from talking about enacting the relevant legislation.
And, even if the motion for legislation to outlaw such discrimination was passed, it was non-binding anyway.
The entire exercise was merely symbolic, to allow members to express opinions on the issue and gauge public views.
In fact, homosexual acts between consenting adults in private were decriminalised in the early 1990s. Yet there are still some conservative forces in Hong Kong that oppose homosexuality and discriminate against homosexuals and their lifestyle choices.