Hong Kong’s Legislative Council voted down a same-sex partnership bill on Wednesday, with 71 lawmakers voting against and one abstaining. The Registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill was proposed by the government to comply with a 2023 court ruling that granted limited legal recognition to same-sex couples.
This marked the first time the opposition-free legislature voted down a government bill. The bill aimed to recognize some rights for couples who were legally married overseas, including the ability to make medical decisions and after-death arrangements.
Strong Reactions from Rights Groups
Amnesty International condemned the decision, stating: “The proposed bill on same-sex partnerships was flawed, but in rejecting it, the government has shown an alarming disdain for [LGBTQ] rights. The failure of this bill must not be the end… On the contrary, it should be the catalyst for the government to introduce comprehensive legislation.”
Jimmy Sham, the LGBTQ activist whose court case led to the 2023 ruling, told Hong Kong Free Press outside the Legislative Council that voting down the bill “would be an attack on the city’s rule of law.”
The legislature’s conservative pro-Beijing voices prevailed to deal a major blow to Hong Kong’s LGBTQ community, representing a significant setback for equality rights in the region.
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