ILGA ASIA

Hong Kong: Legislative Council votes against registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill

Hong Kong: Legislative Council votes against registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill

On 11 September 2025, the Hong Kong Legislative Council voted 71 to 14 against the Same-Sex Partnerships Bill, its opponents citing fear that it would undermine Hong Kong’s “traditional marriage values.” Hong Kong does not recognize same-sex partnerships legally but allows limited rights to couples who have registered their marriage or civil union abroad. The Bill would have further allowed these couples to make medical decisions and funerary arrangements for their partner. ILGA Asia is concerned by the decision of Hong Kong lawmakers, as the Bill was already limited in its scope of rights and protections accorded, and only applied to individuals who have registered abroad. The overwhelming rejection of this Bill also shows the rejection of the movement for equal recognition of and dignified life for everyone in Hong Kong, regardless of their sexual orientation.

The Same-Sex Partnership Bill was announced following the proposal from the Hong Kong government in July 2025 to establish an alternative registration mechanism for same-sex couples who have registered their marriages online. The decision from the lawmakers stands in direct contrast to the stance of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeals. The Court in 2023 had obliged the government to find, within two years, an “alternative framework for legal recognition of their relationship” for marriages that have already been registered abroad, even if same-sex relationships within Hong Kong themselves do not have access to the institution of marriage. The deadline set by the Court for the application of this alternative framework was 27 October 2025. The rejection of the Same-Sex Partnership Bill has also effectively derailed government plans for compliance and the development of public contingency plans. 

“On 16 September, John Lee, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, said the Hong Kong government will explore administrative measures to comply with the 2023 same-sex marriage lawsuit ruling, after failing to pass the narrow-scoped same sex partnership bill at the legislature on 10 Septermber. If such a framework fails to materialise after the court-approved deadline, the state would be in violation of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights (the domestic transposition of the ICCPR).” states Henry Tse, Head of Transgender Equality Hong Kong and has been involved in LGBTIQ strategic litigation in Hong Kong as plaintiff. “There have always been inherent defects in Hong Kong’s legislature that make LGBTIQ bill so difficult to pass – while the future development of this particular case remains uncertain after the legislative veto, the grind doesn’t stop here. The next phase of battles for LGBTIQ+ equality, such as parental rights for same sex couples, has already emerged. Our brightest minds are pushing boundaries relentlessly with tangible results – so don’t get too disheartened.”
ILGA Asia urges the Hong Kong government to comply with its judicial obligations and ensure that its minimum obligations under the decision of the Court of Final Appeals are met. The joint letter to the Hong Kong government from over 30 civil society organizations, including ILGA Asia—highlighting the inadequacies of the Bill as it substantially falls short of even provisioning equal marriage rights—still stands. By rejecting the Bill, the government will now need to address a much larger policy vacuum for ensuring equal and dignified lives for all LGBTIQ individuals in Hong Kong.

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