Hong Kong lawmakers reject a bill recognizing same-sex partnerships
[September 10, 2025]
By KANIS LEUNG
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday voted down a bill that
would have granted recognition to same-sex partnerships in the Chinese
city, despite the rights offered being limited, in a major setback to
the LGBTQ+ movement.
The Registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill, unveiled in July,
stemmed from one of the legal victories that pushed the government to
offer more equal rights to gays and lesbians. However, the bill met
fierce opposition from lawmakers, even though it followed the top
court’s 2023 ruling that the government should provide a framework for
recognizing such relationships.
The staunch opposition from lawmakers was a rare sight since the
government overhauled its electoral rules that effectively filled the
legislature with Beijing loyalists. It was the first government bill to
be voted down since the overhaul.
Resistance in the legislature
The bill proposed to allow residents who have already formed unions
overseas to register their partnerships locally and grant them rights in
handling medical and after-death matters for their loved ones. That
includes the ability to access their partners’ medical information and
participate in medical decisions with consent, and claim their deceased
partners’ remains.
Some lawmakers suggested using individual policies or administrative
measures to resolve the challenges facing same-sex couples, instead of
through such legislation. Others insisted voting down would not amount
to a constitutional crisis and would instead show the legislature is not
a rubber stamp.
Lawmaker Holden Chow from the city's biggest pro-establishment party
said that the bill's passage would mean opening “a Pandora's box,” and
“subverting Hong Kong’s marriage system between one man and one woman.”
Another legislator, Junius Ho, said the bill would cause the entire
society to become restless for the sake of a small group of people.
Outside government headquarters near the legislature, two women laid out
a banner promoting the traditional marriage system.
Many gay rights advocates were unhappy that the rights would only be
available to those who registered their unions overseas, and would be
limited. But some pragmatically supported and rallied for its passage.
Last Friday, Hong Kong Marriage Equality, a nongovernmental
organization, warned in a statement that rejecting the bill would
undermine the city’s commitment to fairness and inclusivity. It would
also send a wrong signal to the international community, it said.
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Lawmaker Maggie Chan gives a speech on a government bill that
proposed to grant recognition to same-sex partnerships in Hong Kong,
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. A sign reads "Resolutely oppose
Registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill." (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
It argued that the results of public opinion submissions — which the
government previously reported as 80% opposing the bill — did not
accurately reflect public sentiment. It noted that about half of the
publicly viewable submissions against the bill used standardized
templates, which suggested “strong mobilization by specific groups.”
Next steps are uncertain
Hong Kong's top court in 2023 ruled that the government should
develop a framework for recognizing same-sex partnerships by
October. It is unclear what the government’s next steps could be
after the vote.
Surveys showed 60% of respondents supported same-sex marriage in
2023, up from 38% in 2013, according to a report by researchers from
three universities.
The growing acceptance came as multiple legal challenges won more
equal rights for same-sex couples, ranging from dependent visas to
subsidized housing benefits. On Tuesday, the Court of First Instance
ruled in favor of a lesbian couple’s parental recognition of their
son born through reciprocal in vitro fertilization.
In a previous legislative debate, Solicitor General Llewellyn Mui
stated that even if the bill is rejected, the court ruling would
remain valid in principle, and the government would be duty-bound to
fulfill its obligations to the best of its ability.
The government previously said its proposal represents the “greatest
common denominator” deemed acceptable to the public and that the
framework would not be equal to marriage. It argued that requiring
overseas registration would provide an objective way to verify
committed partnerships.
Ahead of the vote, Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas and 30
rights groups from across Asia have called on the government to
disclose a contingency plan if the bill is not passed before the top
court’s deadline and introduce a revised proposal without delay.
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