Few in Hong Kong oppose LGBT rights: researchers

CUHK researchers say there is no empirical backing for the government's claim that Hong Kong isn't ready to introduce legal protections for the city's LGBT community. Photo: RTHK

Chinese University researchers said on Tuesday that they have found no widespread opposition in Hong Kong to introducing new laws to protect people of sexual minorities against discrimination, and the government has deluded itself into thinking there is.



The university's Sexualities Research Programme said that in a survey it carried out recently, just 12 percent of respondents said they disagreed or very much disagreed that there should be legal protections for members of the LGBT community, down from the 35 percent found in a similar survey in 2016.



Sixty percent of people polled thought there should be such legal protections.



Meanwhile, 49 percent of those surveyed said people should be able to marry same-sex partners, while 23 percent were opposed.



Only 18 percent of the respondents said they were unaccepting of transgender people.



The programme's founding director, Professor Suen Yiu-tung, said the government needs to "wake up from the delusion" that there is widespread opposition in Hong Kong to the idea of granting legal protections to LGBT people.



Responding to the survey results, lawmaker Ray Chan, who is gay, said the government can longer use the excuse that there is controversy on these topics to delay enacting legislation to protect sexual minorities.



Chan urged the government to legislate against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and to put in place a mechanism to recognise same-sex relationships.



Human rights lawyer Michael Vidler echoed those thoughts, saying it is high time the government acts on these issues.



"This important survey adds to the increasing body of evidence that shows there is widespread LGBT+ acceptance in Hong Kong irrespective of age, religion or family values," Vidler said.



"Hong Kong people recognise the importance of equal rights for LGBT+ members of the community. Business recognises this. It is high time the government recognised this and introduces LGBT+ discrimination legislation and equal marriage status in Hong Kong."



Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) chairman Ricky Chu was quoted by the researchers as saying the survey would provide a valuable reference and the watchdog would study the issues raised.



Suen said he understands the EOC operates under some constraints, but there is more it could do, such as stepping up education on these issues.