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Kimmy Chung

A proposal by Hong Kong’s only openly gay lawmaker that the government study the idea of creating legal unions for homosexual couples has been shot down by the city’s legislature after a heated debate.
People Power legislator Raymond Chan Chi-chuen on Thursday raised a motion urging officials to consider granting greater rights, but it was voted down 27 to 24.
The government said the vote reflected the diverse range of opinion in the city, and that any changes to the institution of marriage would have a profound influence on society.
Hong Kong does not recognise same-sex marriage and has no legislation in place against discrimination based on sexual orientation. A poll by the University of Hong Kong in July showed more than half of city residents would support gay marriage.
Chan said his proposal was mild and merely aimed at sparking discussion.

“The government keeps avoiding studying policies for homosexual groups,” he said.
“Opponents of this motion have to explain why they reject even such a small step forward.”
Echoing his call were pro-democracy legislators Au Nok-hin and Gary Fan Kwok-wai, who filed amendments to the motion in support of Chan’s arguments.
Christian and gay: LGBT church group first to worship at Hong Kong Pride Parade
Fan included a clause which said same-sex couples should enjoy a range of rights currently denied, including the right to make important medical decisions on a partner’s behalf, and the ability to collect a partner’s body after death.
Most pro-establishment lawmakers however were more conservative.
Dr Priscilla Leung Mei-fun called on the government to refrain from “shaking existing marriage institutions … to ensure social and family stability”.

Holden Chow Ho-ding, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city’s largest pro-government party, warned that society would pay a high price if it followed “Western traditions”.
But New People’s Party leader Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee broke ranks to back Chan’s call for studies into granting more rights.
Gay parents wish some in Hong Kong wouldn’t rush to judgment about them and their children
“What you are safeguarding is the concept of Christianity, not traditional Chinese values,” she said. “Please take a closer look at the issue.”
Ip pointed out that polygamy had only been banned in Hong Kong in 1972 after a long history in Chinese culture. Leung was mistaken if she believed she was safeguarding traditional values, Ip said.
The former security minister and Executive Council member urged officials to respect the views of the younger generation, who she said were more open to homosexuality.

Leung submitted an amendment of her own but it failed to gain enough support among lawmakers representing the city’s geographical constituencies.
A Legislative Council member’s motion passes only when it gains backing from both geographical seats and functional constituencies, which represent professional or business sectors.
Motions are not binding and impose no requirement on the government to act.
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said the topic was sensitive and controversial, as recent polls had illustrated.
Gay sex debate helped in Hong Kong. In Singapore, it made things worse
“Many existing laws and policies in Hong Kong, such as applying for public housing, taxation and social welfare, are based on the existing marriage system,” Nip said.
Allowing same-sex couples to enter civil unions would inevitably shake up society and social ethics, and must be handled with caution, he believed.
Thousands of Hongkongers joined the city’s annual Pride Parade on Saturday calling for legislation to help achieve equality for the LGBT community. Organisers said the number of marchers had been growing in recent years.
The parade and Legco debate come on the heels of a landmark decision in July by Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal which granted spousal visas to the same-sex partners of foreign workers in the city – a privilege previously only available to heterosexual couples.


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LGBTQ

‘Small step’ in push for civil unions for gay couples shot down in Hong Kong’s legislature after heated debate

Hong Kong’s first openly gay lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen. Photo: Dickson Lee

epa06206712 A demonstrator for the gay marriage tries to stabilize a giant rainbow flag against the wind, during a counter demonstration on the occasion of the conservative 'Demo fuer Alle' demonstration against gay marriages in Berlin, Germany, 15 September 2017. Conservative protestors demonstrated in Berlin between Chancellery and Parliament against the gay marriages. The protest was accompanied by counter demonstration of supporters of the gay marriages. EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

Xu Na (L) and her new wife Xue Mengyao display their rings after getting married at a group wedding for seven same-sex couples from China, in West Hollywood, California, United States, June 9, 2015. The gay couples were selected as winners of a contest hosted by internet giant Alibaba. China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, but does not recognize same-sex marriages. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Teresa Xu, left, and Li Tingting, right, share a moment outside of a beauty salon where the two were preparing for their wedding in Beijing, Thursday, July 2, 2015. A prominent Chinese lesbian couple held a simple ceremony Thursday to announce their informal marriage, in their latest effort to push for legalization of same-sex unions in China. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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City’s only openly gay legislator Raymond Chan raises motion urging officials to consider granting greater rights, but it is voted down 27 to 24


City’s only openly gay lawmaker Raymond Chan raises motion urging officials to consider granting greater rights, but it is voted down 27 to 24.


Legislative Council of Hong Kong

‘Small step’ in push for civil unions for gay couples shot down in Hong Kong’s legislature after heated debate

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}City’s only openly gay legislator Raymond Chan raises motion urging officials to consider granting greater rights, but it is voted down 27 to 24

City’s only openly gay legislator Raymond Chan raises motion urging officials to consider granting greater rights, but it is voted down 27 to 24