Vote by lawmakers is far from the end of the matter, which will not go away and only lead to more legal challenges in an international city that presents itself as inclusive, vibrant and diverse
A court ruling in favour of a three-year-old boy, whose parents are both women, highlighted the practical difficulties faced by Hong Kong’s same-sex couples last week and broke new ground in upholding their rights.
The government had refused to allow both lesbian mothers of the child to be recorded as parents on his birth certificate. One of them was excluded. This was ruled by the court to be unlawful, as it breaches the little boy’s privacy and family rights.
It is the latest in a long line of judgments, based on decency and dignity as well as the law, which have struck out such discriminatory practices and safeguarded rights.
But any excitement in the LGBTQ community resulting from that ruling quickly deflated on Wednesday when the legislature voted down a game-changing government bill that would have established the city’s first legal framework for the recognition of same-sex relationships.
