THE NEW YORK TIMES: Legislators voted down a proposal that would have given some rights to couples who married overseas. Campaign groups urged the government to try again.
Since the Chinese government imposed a major overhaul of Hong Kong’s political system four years ago, the city’s legislature has been stacked with loyalists who have sided with the administration on almost every issue.
But one law proposed by the Hong Kong government faced opposition from a large number of lawmakers. It aimed to provide recognition of some same-sex partnerships and bestow people in such relationships with new rights, such as the authority to make medical decisions on behalf of their partners.
On Wednesday, 71 of the city’s 89 legislators voted against the bill.
Holden Chow, the vice chair of the city’s largest pro-Beijing party, had said that enacting the bill could “result in dire consequences” for traditional Chinese family values. But Hong Kong Marriage Equality, an advocacy group, urged the government to reintroduce the bill after legislative council elections in December.
Hong Kong does not recognize same-sex marriage. The proposed law would have allowed same-sex couples who married or entered a civil union overseas to register as lawful couples in Hong Kong, and would have extended some rights to them. » | Tiffany May | Reporting from Hong Kong | September 10, 2025
