Editorial | The earlier Hong Kong acts on protecting sexual minorities the better
- While the city lost out in being the first place in Asia to recognise same-sex marriages, we do not want to lag behind in terms of improving institutional protection for the LGBT community
It is difficult to see how two men in suits and holding hands as they walk along a beach can be seen as offensive. But this is apparently the reason why the Cathay Pacific ad was rejected by the MTR’s publicity agency, whose guidelines prohibit content seen as immoral or offending accepted standards of public decency, or social and cultural standards. Equally puzzling was the initial response of the Airport Authority, which said it has to take into account the fact that “the airport receives a large number of passengers of all ages with different cultural backgrounds from all over the world”.
While the ad may not be well received by everyone, a ban based on the most conservative standards would have undermined our image. Indeed, the government has long been running television publicity promoting acceptance for diversity and equality.
The Equal Opportunities Commission should have been more vocal in defending the rights of sexual minorities. The watchdog first declined to comment, saying the ad falls outside the current discrimination laws and that it did not know the reasons for the ban. It later welcomed the change. Earlier, the new commissioner also disappointed the LGBT community when asked about the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Taiwan. He opted for a step-by-step approach to first focus on anti-discrimination initiatives, saying the circumstances of the two places could not be directly compared.