Hong Kong Must Have Framework to Recognize Same-Sex Unions, Court Rules

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

56% : The appeal on Tuesday was important on many fronts, particularly because previous judiciary review cases in Hong Kong granted rights to same-sex couples in specific domains of life, like taxation, fringe benefits and the right to a dependent visa, said Yiu-tung Suen, an associate professor of gender studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
51% : In Japan, there are a few court cases with mixed results in terms of legal recognition of same-sex relationships, he said.
46% : The ruling by the city's Court of Final Appeal stops short of recognizing same-sex marriage, but some experts see the outcome as a small step forward.
46% : The plaintiff in the case was Jimmy Sham, a pro-democracy activist who has been fighting for the recognition of same-sex marriages registered overseas for five years, according to The Associated Press.
46% : "Some jurisdictions like Indonesia and Malaysia, they are taking a very conservative approach to L.G.B.T.+ rights, but when it comes to legal recognition of same-sex relationships, we also see jurisdictions like Taiwan and recently in Nepal, they have got more positive decisions on legal recognition of same sex relationships," he said.
46% : And in April, India's top court began hearing arguments in a case to legalize same-sex marriage.
45% : In 2019, a Hong Kong court ruled against allowing same-sex unions in the city, a decision that came five months after Taiwan's government became the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
40% : However, the five judges on Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal stopped short of recognizing same-sex marriage, something activists had been demanding.
20% : As part of Tuesday's ruling, the court also unanimously dismissed appeals on the constitutional right to same-sex marriage and whether the lack of recognition of foreign same-sex marriages violated rights.

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