Protecting LGBTQ rights can be ‘selling point’ for Hong Kong, top British diplomat says
- British consul general Brian Davidson suggests better safeguarding rights of same-sex couples could be advantage for city as it battles with regional rivals
- Speaking on sidelines of Pride Parade, Davidson also says NGOs remain concerned over being branded as colluding with foreign forces under national security law
Increasing equality for the LGBTQ community can help Hong Kong promote its reputation as Asia-Pacific’s leading financial centre, a top British diplomat has said on the sidelines of this year’s Pride Parade.
Attending the event with his husband Scott Chang and their three children on Saturday, British consul general Brian Davidson pointed to areas where the government had yet to catch up with the rest of the world in firmly establishing fairer treatment of sexual minorities.
“It’s a city that is actually inclusive and welcoming to all talent,” he told the Post. “And I think that could actually be one of its selling points over some of its rivals.”
That openness to other sexual orientations could also decide whether international corporations could move their LGBTQ employees to the city, at a time when Hong Kong is fighting hard to attract talent as emigration increases.
Davidson said he still felt a sense of uncertainty lingering among non-governmental organisations following the introduction of the national security law, and many were apprehensive about working with consulates in promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.
NGOs have expressed concerns over being accused of colluding with foreign forces, an offence punishable by life imprisonment, under the Beijing-imposed law.
“The narrative is still there,” he said. “It’s one of the issues that I raised with the government … There’s no evidence and there’s actually no intent to be doing anything that is either politically sensitive or leading to breaking national security.”
Davidson also stressed Britain, which recognised civil partnership in 2005 and same-sex marriage in 2014, was not seeking to impose its standards on Hong Kong.
The diplomat attended the pride event at D2 Place in Lai Chi Kok with his three children, alongside his husband Chang, the executive director of JP Morgan’s Philanthropy Centre.
The British and Swedish consulates, as well as the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macau are among the Pride sponsors this year, and diplomats from several member states also attended.
While city leader John Lee Ka-chiu has repeatedly pledged to work towards a more diverse society, Hong Kong does not recognise same-sex marriage in general, except for limited areas such as tax declaration and application of spousal visas, rights achieved only in recent years after litigation.
Davidson said the city had made him and his husband feel welcomed as a gay couple but acknowledged other same-sex partners were forced to jump through hoops when dealing with bureaucracy.
He recalled how his own family was affected by the government’s policies on same-sex couples earlier this year. He and Chang were returning from an overseas trip with their children and although his diplomatic status exempted them from quarantine rules in effect at the time, his husband had to be quarantined at a hotel while he took the three children home.
He called what he experienced “a trivial example”.
“But if you think of it in a broader sense, it means that for same-sex couples living here, what the bureaucracy … is saying is we don’t recognise your family, and we don’t recognize the person that you’ve committed spend your life with as actually anyone other than a complete stranger,” he said.
Anecdotes abound of same-sex couples experiencing similar difficulties in a range of areas, such visiting a partner in hospital or being recognised as a child’s guardian at school.
While Hong Kong courts have so far rejected legal bids to fully recognise same-sex relationships, it has advised the government to carry out a comprehensive review of its policies to ensure they comply with the principles found in previous rulings siding with the LGBTQ community.
Davidson stressed that dialogue with other countries on LGBTQ matters was never a one-way street and noted the United Kingdom had much to learn about transgender issues from Thailand, which is more progressive in the area and where he served as British ambassador.
“I think it’s a very important bottom line that we are not here to preach or with an agenda,” he said, adding that they would engage with advocates in a way that was sympathetic to the local environment.
