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Can Hong Kong follow Taiwan’s lead on same-sex marriage and live up to its Asia’s World City tag?
David Ogilvie says that, despite setbacks, the signs are that the conditions and mindset are right for Hong Kong to claim its place as a true East-West melting pot, with a citizenry tolerant of all sexualities
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A few months ago, Taiwan became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, joining a list of more than 20 countries worldwide over the past 16 years that now permit this. Where might be next in the region? Hong Kong looks like a reasonable assumption. There are, of course, many reasons why same-sex marriage legislation is or is not passed in a particular jurisdiction, but essentially it comes down to three issues.
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First, religious tolerance. There are only a small number of anti-gay religious activists in Hong Kong, although they do appear to have a relatively vocal platform that belies their size.
Choi Chi-sum, general secretary of the conservative Christian group, the Society For Truth And Light, for example, has been given an increasingly prominent stage to present his views following Taiwan’s legislative change. His opinions on same-sex marriage, sexual minority anti-discrimination laws, and even the recent “controversy” over a homosexual character in the Disney film Beauty and the Beast are well known.
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