"The bill, which granted limited legal rights to couples registered overseas, was voted down by lawmakers 71 to 14. A Hong Kong bill that proposed limited legal rights to same-sex couples has been voted down by lawmakers in the Chinese semi-autonomous city's Legislative Council. The bill had proposed to allow residents who have already formed unions overseas to register their partnerships locally and to grant them rights in handling medical and funeral matters."
"That included the ability to access their partners' medical information and participate in medical decisions with consent, and claim their deceased partners' remains. Today is a disappointing day for Hong Kong, advocacy group Hong Kong Marriage Equality said in a statement after the vote. (It) sends a troubling signal to both local and international communities that court rulings may be disregarded and the dignity of individuals overlooked."
Hong Kong legislators rejected a Registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill that would have allowed residents with overseas unions to register partnerships locally and receive limited legal rights. The proposal targeted rights related to accessing partners' medical information, participating in medical decisions with consent, and claiming deceased partners' remains. The measure responded to a 2023 top court ruling directing the government to create a recognition framework within two years. The government reiterated that marriage remains defined as between a man and a woman while proposing registration for partnerships recognised abroad. The vote outcome was 71 against, 14 in favour, and one abstention, drawing criticism from advocacy groups and Amnesty.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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