Fridae

Hongkong Bars British Civil Unions
The Hong Kong SAR Government has announced their decision to bar local residents from entering into same-sex civil unions at the British consulate although it is legal under British law.

The UK Civil Partnership Act allows British nationals are allowed to enter civil unions with non-British nationals of the same gender at British diplomatic offices worldwide, with the agreement of local governments.

In a statement on its website, the British Consulate-General said, "The Hong Kong government has informed us that it does not consider it appropriate to agree to the registration of civil partnerships of same-sex couples at the British Consulate-General Hong Kong at present."

A spokesman for the HK SAR said: "The Hong Kong government made the decision because the government was still in the process of consulting on the need for laws against discrimination against gays, and did not want to be perceived as taking sides while the issue was being discussed."

Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1991, but activists are still battling the government to enact anti-discriminatory laws. The government is currently appealing a lower-court ruling last year that lowered the age of consent for gay sex from 21 to 16, the age that applies to heterosexuals, the Associated Press reported.

The former British colony, which has a population of 6.8 million, is home to more than 200,000 British nationals, and 3.5 million others who are eligible for the British National Overseas (BNO) passport, according to the report. Although the travel document however does not grant the right of abode in Britain, the holders would be considered British nationals under the Civil Partnership Act.

Meanwhile British consulates in 14 other countries, including Japan, Vietnam, Australia, and certain states in the US, have already registered civil partnerships since Britain legalised gay marriage in December 2005.

---

Gay couple calls on couples in taiwan to join mass wedding
Well-known gay Taiwanese novelist Hsu You-sheng and his American partner Garry Harriman have called on same-sex couples in Taipei to join them in a group wedding in the city's upcoming gay pride parade, scheduled for September this year.

Celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary at a press conference last Friday, the couple held Taiwan's first public gay wedding in 1996 in the presence of more than 500 guests, including officials of the Taipei city government at a downtown hotel.

Hsu, a well-known author of 11 books on gay topics, met his partner while studying in New York City.

"Although we followed the standard procedure according to the law, we are not considered a married according to the Taiwanese government," Hsu told the media.

He said it is a violation of basic human rights to prohibit same-sex marriage.

"To encourage all gay couples to bravely admit to their sexuality," said Hsu, "Gary and I want to take this opportunity to invite all the same-sex couples to join us in a group wedding in our upcoming gay pride parade," he said at the press conference.

According to an Associated Press report at the time, President Chen Shui-bian who was the Mayor of Taipei at the time sent the couple a congratulatory letter which was read by his spokesman at the wedding.

Ashley Wu, the director of a gay right group Tongzhi Hotline Association which organises the Taipei pride parade said that in order to raise people's awareness concerning the gay community's desire have legal marriage, the theme for this year's gay pride parade will be "family."

"Many gay people are alienated and ostracised from their families and friends. All they want is to have the same rights as everyone else - the right to form their own families," Wu said.

Gender/Sexuality Rights Association Secretary General Wang Ping (王蘋) said marriage between any two people is a form of commitment, regardless of sexual orientation.

"It is a shame that our government still refuses to recognize same-sex marriage while many other countries such as Belgium, Canada, and the United Kingdom have already done so," said the gay activist.

While the parade date and route is yet to be decided, Wang added that couples who choose to get married during this year's parade will also have a chance to try to register their marriage at city hall that day.
"It is not just for fun or just to make a statement. We are serious about making same-sex marriage legal in this country," said Wu, "and we will remain optimistic about the prospect."