Hong Kong to seek administrative measures to protect same-sex couple rights
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Hong Kong authorities are considering administrative measures to protect the rights of same-sex couples after a bill to recognise such partnerships was rejected by the legislature, the cityโs leader has said.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that the failure of the Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill to secure the backing of lawmakers showed the Legislative Council was not a โrubber stampโ body as some had โunfairlyโ suggested.
Legislators last week voted down the governmentโs bill, which would have recognised same-sex partnerships in the city and granted some core rights to couples in line with a landmark court ruling from 2023.
It marked the first time a government bill had failed to get a green light from lawmakers since Beijing overhauled the electoral system to have only โpatriots administering Hong Kongโ.
Before a meeting of his key decision-making Executive Council, Lee told reporters that same-sex partnerships remained a โcontentious issueโ in Hong Kong.
โOne thing is very clear: the only marriage that is recognised under the Basic Law is heterosexual โฆ That principle has not changed and will not be changed,โ he said, referring to the cityโs mini-constitution.