Dino Wong and Geoffrey Yu consider themselves fortunate. The Hong Kong pair married in 2019 during a quick trip to the US territory of Guam. After being together for nearly five years, they decided to act when updated financial regulations began acknowledging same-sex partnerships.
“I was studying, and he worked as a doctor, so it made a big difference,” recalls Wong, now a psychologist.
The couple completed the legal process on the tropical island before returning home for a large celebration with loved ones.
Hong Kong does not permit same-sex marriage, but a number of legal rulings have gradually secured limited rights for LGBTQ+ couples in areas like public housing, inheritance, and residency for partners. These small victories have eased daily life for Wong and Yu, even if obtaining some rights required traveling abroad.
Many of these advances, however, have been won through lengthy legal battles, with advocates taking the government to court. While surveys indicate growing public backing for LGBTQ+ equality in Hong Kong, the political landscape has shifted, making progress harder in a legislature increasingly influenced by conservative perspectives.
A landmark decision from the city’s highest court in September 2023 stated that local laws define marriage as between a man and a woman but mandated that authorities establish an alternative system acknowledging fundamental rights for same-sex unions.
The court, ruling on a case filed by activist Jimmy Sham, set a two-year deadline. With time running out, the government recently unveiled its proposed framework, which has been criticized for doing the bare minimum.
The suggestion involves a new registration system granting certain healthcare-related rights—such as hospital visitation, medical decision-making, and post-death arrangements—to same-sex couples.
However, it excludes other anticipated protections, including housing benefits, and restricts eligibility to couples where at least one partner is a Hong Kong resident and whose union was formalized abroad.
Critics argue the plan offers the least possible compliance with the ruling, creating a divided system that advantages those who can afford to marry overseas or secure legal safeguards.
“The government is deepening inequality, driving further division,” Wong says.
The organization Hong Kong Marriage Equality stated the proposal fails to address over 100 documented instances of unequal treatment based on relationship status.
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