Letters | Hong Kong’s necessary step forward on same-sex partnerships
Readers discuss the government’s proposal to recognise same-sex partnerships, and international standards for same-sex policy
The proposal’s limitations are glaring. It grants only a narrow set of rights, such as the right to make medical decisions.
Most puzzling is the requirement that couples must have registered their union overseas. This stipulation is both arbitrary and counterproductive. The government has already laid out specific criteria for recognition; adding a foreign registration requirement serves no real purpose, except to invite further legal disputes.
Despite these shortcomings, the proposal is a necessary first step. Yet it has already drawn criticism from conservative lawmakers, who said it would threaten traditional family values. Such claims are misleading. The government is not introducing same-sex marriage, but establishing a separate partnership registry in compliance with the court’s ruling. This is about fulfilling a legal obligation, not redefining marriage.
Since decriminalising homosexuality, Hong Kong has made meaningful strides towards greater inclusion. At its heart, this issue is about fairness. Regardless of the ongoing debate over specific rights, the principle is clear: same-sex couples deserve legal protection of their human dignity. It is time for both the government and society to meet that responsibility.
Henry Wong, Kennedy Town