Court ruling overturns anti-LGBT housing policy

[reader]

From Channel News Asia

The Hong Kong High Court's landmark ruling allows same-sex couples to now co-own subsidised housing AFP/Philip FONG

HONG KONG: Married same-sex partners will be allowed to own subsidised housing together in Hong Kong after a landmark High Court ruling on Friday (Jun 25), a major stride for LGBT rights in the financial hub.

Hong Kong does not recognise same-sex marriage but individual couples can challenge discriminatory policies in court.

Hong Kong's subsidised housing policies, which do not acknowledge same-sex partners as a tenant's family member, "constitute unlawful discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation", the Court said.

The case was a second victory for gay couple Henry Li and his deceased partner Edgar Ng against the city's government, after a 2020 ruling allowing same-sex couples equal rights to inheritance.

Ng, who suffered from depression, took his own life in December. The case was filed before his death in 2019 but hearings began in April 2021.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/hong-kong-court-ruling-overturns-anti-lgbt-housing-policy--15090296

[PeterRS]

I will be really interested to find out how many couples will be affected by this Court ruling. After all, it depends on the couple being legally married, something that is not possible in Hong Kong and I suspect there are very few. Flying over to get married in Taiwan is not going to help because Taiwan's gay marriage law requires one partner to be Taiwanese.

[spoon]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

I will be really interested to find out how many couples will be affected by this Court ruling. After all, it depends on the couple being legally married, something that is not possible in Hong Kong and I suspect there are very few. Flying over to get married in Taiwan is not going to help because Taiwan's gay marriage law requires one partner to be Taiwanese.

Then they just need to fly to a country that will allow gay marriage of non citizens. I wonder which country is the closest.

[PeterRS]

10 hours ago, spoon said:

Then they just need to fly to a country that will allow gay marriage of non citizens. I wonder which country is the closest.

I believe that would be Australia but I do not know if there are specific requirements of non-citizens. Other readers might know if the couple have to spend any period of time in the country between registration and the actual marriage, for example. That might make it quite a costly venture for two people.