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Letters | Marriage equality is clearly the best choice for Hong Kong
- Readers discuss why the city must recognise same-sex marriage, how this would send the right message about Hong Kong to the world, and shrinking student numbers in schools
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We couldn’t agree more with your editorial, “Hong Kong ruling on same-sex couples needs to be respected and applied” (September 8), which eloquently stated: “The government should not adopt a minimalist approach to the framework it must put in place, as this would be likely to lead to yet more legal challenges.”
The landmark decision sends a clear and strong message that same-sex couples deserve to live a dignified life, and their partnerships should be legally recognised and protected. The decision is also a boon to Hong Kong, as it promotes social cohesion and will attract global talent to work and live in the city.
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There are numerous options the government can consider in establishing a legal framework for recognising same-sex partnerships, but there is only one that has proved workable.
There is an assumption that we’d have to create something from scratch. For example, people are perplexed by the idea of core rights. We agree with sceptics that the idea of a list of rights is problematic and would likely lead to more litigation. It is certainly not the best approach.
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Next, there are people talking about civil unions or civil partnerships. In essence, it involves creating a separate system for same-sex couples.
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