Dr York Chow bows out as Hong Kong LGBT community’s unlikeliest champion
Former health minister says three-year stint as Equal Opportunities Commission chairman, during which he strongly supported sexual equality, has been ‘quite special’
From one-time government health minister to champion of LGBT rights – the last three years have seen the unlikeliest transformation in the CV of orthopaedic surgeon Dr York Chow Yat-ngok.
During his tenure as the Equal Opportunities Commission chief, Chow, 69, has faced criticism from society’s more conservative factions for his supportive stance on sex equality.
But as his term ends this week, Chow said it is the LGBT community, which he was both lauded and vilified for backing, that he will miss the most.
“Since I got involved in LGBT rights, a lot of friends and relatives actually came out [as gay] to me,” said Chow. “I find that [the LGBT community] faces complicated and painful problems. Hong Kong cannot continually ignore this.”
Chow became head of the discrimination watchdog in 2013, and was the first EOC chairman to join in a gay rights march.
He also made headlines for singing a duet with gay singer Anthony Wong to raise awareness over discrimination against sexual minorities.
His actions contradicted comments at the beginning of his term when some said he did not demonstrate a knowledge of nor commitment to human rights.