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#LGBTRights #Court
Hong Kong's High Court Upholds Discriminatory Definition Of Marriage, Judge: “I didn’t dare to make the right choice.”

Jimmy Sham, a member of the LGBT+ rights organization Rainbow of Hong Kong and convener of Civil Human Right Front, got married to his male partner in New York in 2013. He lodged for judicial review in Hong Kong in 2018 requesting the High Court to rule the Hong Kong government rejecting oversea same-sex marriage as discriminatory, which is a violation of the “Basic Law”.

In the High Court verdict on Sept 18, 2020, Judge Chow stated that the current statutory definition of marriage in Hong Kong was “one man and one woman” and that therefore Sham's marriage wasn’t legitimate, so the court ruled against him.

Sham said outside the court that the Judge agreed to unfairness and discrimination of the existing system, but he dared not to make the right choice, and restore justice where it has been deprived.

Source: Stand News #Sept18

https://www.facebook.com/710476795704610/posts/3469988413086754/?extid=7GdP8B4Kc0BUmLbV

#SameSexMarriage #JimmySham #RainbowofHongKong
#Court #LGBTRights
LGBT+ organizations: Hong Kong Court Only Willing to Consider Same-sex Marriage Rights in Split Scenario and in Judicial Review

The High Court in Hong Kong issued a verdict where the denial of inheritance rights of spouses in a homosexual marriage were ruled unconstitutional on Sept 18, 2020.

Judge Anderson Chow Ka-ming stated that the regulations discriminate between heterosexual couples and same-sex couples and lack a reasonable explanation, which constitutes as illegal discrimination.

The Attorney General claimed that local marriage law grants heterosexual couples a special status, and the members of heterosexual couples must bear the legal responsibility to support their spouse, so they cannot be treated the same as same-sex couples.

Judge Chow disagreed with the claim, stating that the original intention of the law is to prevent the deceased from evading the responsibility of supporting others. These include those who the deceased has to take care of in terms of legal responsibilities and moral responsibilities, such as their parents and brothers and sisters.

Chow stated that the Attorney General's view is wrong and reflects that the law treats opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples differently.

However, the judicial review filed by Jimmy Sham, vice convener of the Civil Human Rights Front (#CHRF) was shot down by Judge Chow on the same day.

Sham challenged previous ruling of the court, arguing that the refusal to recognise overseas same-sex marriages is in violation of the Basic Law.

Some LGBT+ organizations believe that Sham's lost case is extremely unfair and ironic, criticising that same-sex couples could only submit judicial review on various marital rights one at a time, that "you could only win if you cut the case." They asked, "Is it impossible to enjoy these rights without judicial reviews?"

Source: MingPao ; MingPao #Sept19

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Read Further:

Hong Kong's High Court Upholds Discriminatory Definition Of Marriage, Judge: “I didn’t dare to make the right choice”
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/25361

#LGBT #SameSexMarriage #JimmySham #InheritanceRight
Hong Kong Pro-democracy Activist #RayChan Gets Married in Face of #PoliticalProsecution

Activist and former legislator Ray CHAN Chi-chuen is one of the 47 pro-democracy figures who were charged over national security violations for participating in the Primary Election of the pro-democracy camp in July 2020.

In face of political prosection, Chan, while on bail, decided to get married. Chan thanked his partner for supporting him during his arrests, trials, and detention.

The ceremony took place in Hong Kong on December 15, 2021. Since Hong Kong's law does not recognise same sex marriage and Chan's passport has been confiscated by the authorities, Chan and his partner registered their marriage virtually in Utah of the United States.

Chan is the first #LGBTQ legislator in Hong Kong. He has been detained for half a year before his bail was granted in September 2021.

Source: Stand News #Dec16
https://thestandnews.page.link/LQ5BCkoEfqDpFsFm7

#Save47 #PoliticalProsecution #Pride #SameSexMarriage