

Despite the more than two years of work by Hong Kong’s Advisory Group on Eliminating Discrimination against Sexual Minorities, a report put out at the end of last year has failed to impress LGBT organizations, who are anxious for legal measures to eradicate the conservative society’s abuse and marginalization of minorities.

Released on December 31, the report recommended five measures for the protection of sexual minorities yet neglected to list anti-discrimination legislation among them, merely stating instead that “more studies and public consultation are needed.” At a press conference on Thursday, a total of nine LGBT organisations gave a joint statement denouncing the report and everything for which it stands.

Group member Raymond Chan Chi-chuen revealed that 80% of them have been pushing for legislation, and blasted chairperson Professor Fanny Cheung Mui-ching for omitting the crucial detail, while dragging the publication in general: “The report has no direction at all. It doesn’t even include a timetable of when the recommendations should be implemented.”

Chan is in good company with Rainbow Action’s Tommy Chen and Yeo Wai Wai from the Women Coalition of HKSAR, in demanding for their names to be removed from the publication. Among the protesters also are local celebrities and Big Love Alliance founders Anthony Wong Yiu-ming and Denise Ho Wan-sze, the latter pleading for the government to take legal steps “before something tragic happens.”

“Without action, this report is useless,” agreed Pink Alliance’s Reggie Ho. However, Ho was also marginally more optimistic, adding that “it boils down to whether the government will act upon it.” She too stressed the need for a timetable and concrete plans for implementation of the proposals.

Responding to the report’s chilly reception, the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau has merely offered the vague party line that there are plans to “study the report in detail and continue dialogue with various stakeholders on future directions.”

[Images via Apple Daily]

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