As Hong Kong witnesses an intense tussle between groups for and against LGBTQ rights with a face-off last weekend that saw a 5000-strong anti-gay rally, the first in a series of short films has been launched to raise awareness and to inspire LGBT and LGBT-friendly citizens to speak up.

The following is a press statement issued by AD Media, the producers of the film:

“The Pantry” highlights workplace discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees in Hong Kong.

The Pantry is based on true stories drawn from offices around Hong Kong. The film, which is the first in a series from AD Media, aims to raise awareness and hopes to inspire LGBT and LGBT-friendly citizens to break their silence and stand up for human rights.

Hong Kong continues to drag behind competition because the government chooses to ignore recent survey results* and bows before religious extremists instead, thereby denying equality rights to the very people whose taxes it relies on and, on the broader picture, ignoring calls from the United Nations Human Rights Commission to clean up its record.

*Community Business – Almost 80% of the surveyed Hong Kong working population think that LGBT individuals face discrimination or negative treatment.

According to a University of Hong Kong survey that was commissioned by Cyd Ho, nearly 76 per cent of respondents agreed there was discrimination against LGBT people in Hong Kong. More than 60 per cent said there should be legislation in place to protect the rights of homosexuals.