Anti-LGBT advocates say legalising same-sex marriage will lead to human trafficking, more abortions and the decriminalisation of incest, despite a lack of evidence to support their claims.

The remarks were made Monday at a legislative seminar on why same-sex marriage should be opposed. The talk – organised by the pro-Beijing DAB party and attended by around 20 people – was chaired by DAB lawmaker and member of the Equal Opportunities Commission Holden Chow.

The seminar on why same-sex marriage should be opposed. Photo: HKFP/Ellie Ng.

During the seminar, an audience member expressed concern that the process of making babies would be “commercialised” if same-sex marriage is legislated upon.

He claimed the legalisation would also lead to human trafficking owing to higher demands for surrogate mothers, as well as more abortions when when a surrogate becomes pregnant with more than one baby.

See also: Anti-LGBT groups warn of ‘reverse discrimination’ and threats to free speech if gay people are protected

Reverend Jayson Tam, division head of Evangelical Free Church of China’s Yan Fook Church, expressed agreement: “The global trend of gay rights development is towards adoption and the surrogacy industry, which will lead to human trafficking. We must speak for the voiceless.”

“Marriage, family and children are a gift from God. What [you] said is true: we need to think about our future generations and how to protect those without a voice.”

(R to L) DAB district councillor Jacqueline Chung, DAB’s Vincent Cheng, DAB lawmaker Holden Chow, Rev. Jayson Tam and DAB leader Starry Lee. Photo: HKFP/Ellie Ng.

The reverend said the issue of same-sex marriage is only a part of the bigger “problem” of the sexual revolution and LGBT movement. He said the social movement has led adults to believe sex is a right.

“But in doing so, they are in fact violating others’ rights,” he said.

Citing the example of Taiwan, Tam said that while the island’s LGBT movement is the most progressive in Asia, it also has the highest divorce rate in Asia and one of the world’s lowest birth rates. “Taiwan’s AIDS rate is 10 times that of Japan and South Korea,” he added.

He also cited news reports as saying that 200,000 fetuses were “killed” in the same year when Taiwan saw 200,000 newborns, though Taiwanese media reported in 2015 that the country’s medical sector estimated around 500,000 abortions a year.

Taiwan’s protest for same-sex marriage. File photo: Marriage Equality Platform via Facebook.

Tam said he disagreed with the pro-LGBT argument that heterosexual marriage is equally problematic in that it sees high divorce rates and existing abortion practices.

“We are just not doing good enough, but does it mean we should change the entire system? Shouldn’t we instead give more resources to strengthen [marriage]? I am a father, I also want more resources for being a good father,” he said.

Incest

Meanwhile, barrister Josiah Chok Kin-ming claimed the “overall objective” of the LGBT movement is about sexual liberation.

“The effect [of same-sex marriage] on adoption and human trafficking is indisputable,” he said. “Another incontestable fact is that of around 20 countries that have legalised same-sex marriage, around a dozen have introduced the idea of decriminlisaing incest.”

Josiah Chok. Photo: HKFP/Ellie Ng.

He did not provide data to support his claim, but claimed debate about decriminalising incest had become a global trend. In 2014, the German Ethics Council recommended an end to the criminalisation of incest between siblings. Similar calls emerged in Sweden last year.

Chok urged people to take action to stop the “ridiculous” trend being spread to Hong Kong.

Chok was a chief officer at the Equal Opportunities Commission, but he was stripped of his role in a review of anti-discrimination laws in 2014 after he was found to have helped churchgoers to lobby against gay rights during a public consultation on the review.

‘Unfounded’

Pro-democracy lawmaker Ray Chan told HKFP that the claims were unfounded and did not warrant serious debate. “They have absolutely nothing to do with gay marriage or homosexuality,” he said.

“Sometimes people make the slippery slope fallacy, in that they exaggerate its effect with unlimited consequences.”

Ray Chan. File Photo: HKFP/Ellie Ng.

The lawmaker said it is not reasonable to say that developments in other countries – such as debate on incest – would definitely take place in Hong Kong. He added: “Decriminalising incest is a moral issue that must be discussed separately.”

Meanwhile, Holden Chow told HKFP that he chaired the seminar not as a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission, but as a lawmaker who represents the public. He said he would convey the views expressed at the seminar through various channels.

LGBT advocates called for Chow’s resignation from the commission in May, on the basis that he openly opposes gay rights. The commission chair Alfred Chan also urged Chow to “respect the principle of collective responsibility.”

His party – the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) – is the city’s largest political party and has been campaigning against gay marriage in favour of “traditional family values.”