Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday voted down a government bill that would have created a limited framework to recognize same-sex partnerships, dealing a major setback to long-running efforts by LGBTQ+ advocates to secure legal recognition.
The Registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill, unveiled in July, would have allowed residents who formed unions overseas to register those partnerships locally and access a narrow set of rights, including the ability to obtain partners’ medical information with consent, participate in medical decisions and claim the remains of deceased partners. The bill followed a 2023 ruling by the city’s top court directing the government to provide a framework for recognizing such relationships.
Supporters of the proposal said it represented a pragmatic step to meet legal obligations and provide urgent protections for same-sex couples on medical and bereavement matters. Opponents argued the measure went too far or contended that such issues could be addressed through individual policies or administrative measures rather than legislation.
The vote exposed deep resistance inside the legislature. Holden Chow, a member of the city’s largest pro-establishment party, warned the bill’s passage would open “a Pandora's box” and accused it of “subverting Hong Kong’s marriage system between one man and one woman.” Legislator Junius Ho said the bill would make “the entire society . . . become restless for the sake of a small group of people.” Outside government headquarters, opponents displayed banners supporting the traditional marriage system.
The bill’s defeat was notable because it was the first government bill to be voted down since Beijing overhauled Hong Kong’s electoral rules and most legislative seats came to be held by pro-establishment figures. Government officials had described the proposal as the “greatest common denominator” acceptable to the public and said requiring overseas registration would provide a clear method to verify committed partnerships.
Many gay rights advocates criticized the overseas-registration requirement and the limited scope of the rights offered. Some activists nevertheless supported the bill as a practical step forward. Hong Kong Marriage Equality, a nongovernmental organization, warned that rejecting the bill would undermine the city’s commitments to fairness and inclusivity and send a negative signal internationally. The group also questioned the government’s earlier claim that public-submission results showed about 80% opposition, saying roughly half of the publicly viewable submissions used standardized templates that suggested organized mobilization.
Recent legal decisions have expanded protections for same-sex couples in other areas, including dependent visas and access to subsidized housing. On Tuesday, a Court of First Instance ruled in favor of parental recognition for a lesbian couple whose son was born through reciprocal in vitro fertilization. Solicitor General Llewellyn Mui previously told lawmakers that even if the bill were rejected, the court’s rulings would remain legally binding in principle and the government would be duty-bound to meet its obligations.
The city’s legal deadline, set by the Court of Final Appeal’s 2023 decision, calls for a framework to be developed by October. It remained unclear immediately after the vote what steps the government would take to comply with the court direction. Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas and about 30 rights groups across Asia had urged the government to disclose a contingency plan if the bill did not pass and to introduce a revised proposal without delay.
Public opinion has shifted in recent years: researchers from three universities reported that support for same-sex marriage rose to about 60% in 2023 from 38% in 2013. Advocates and legal experts said the issue is likely to remain a focus for courts, lawmakers and civil society as Hong Kong navigates the tensions between judicial rulings, legislative reluctance and evolving social attitudes.