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No one should be excluded because of their sexual identity – we all belong to Hong Kong

York Chow says it is high time for the government to take action on discrimination against LGBTI people, and a public consultation on introducing legislation would be a good start

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There is widespread discrimination against LGBTI people in Hong Kong.
There is widespread discrimination against LGBTI people in Hong Kong.
Imagine that you are a student. But you dread going to school because, every day, you face cruel taunts from your classmates. During group activities, you are often left on your own. Sometimes, your school work is stolen or you are physically harassed. You feel you can’t seek help from your teachers, who also sometimes ridicule you in front of other students.

Imagine being unfairly denied a job promotion, or being constantly mocked or verbally harassed by your colleagues at work. Or being pressured to dress or act a certain way at work, under threat of dismissal. In such circumstances, would you stay in your job?

What if these things happened because of your sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status? Would you feel helpless and isolated? What would your future look like after such experiences?

Discrimination severely affects the ability of LGBTI people to participate equally in everyday life and opportunities. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Discrimination severely affects the ability of LGBTI people to participate equally in everyday life and opportunities. Photo: Jonathan Wong
On Tuesday, the Equal Opportunities Commission released the findings of our study on legislation against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status, which was commissioned to a multidisciplinary research team at the Gender Research Centre of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. As the most comprehensive study of its kind in our city, it combined both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including 13 focus groups with the public and 14 focus groups with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, as well as a territory-wide public opinion phone survey of over 1,000 respondents.

READ MORE: Hong Kong gay rights activists condemn lack of action on anti-discrimination law

The study highlights that there is widespread discrimination against LGBTI people in Hong Kong across multiple domains, including in education, employment, provision of services, management of premises and government functions. Those who have faced discrimination felt that there was little or no means of redress. Some reported that those in the professions of care and compassion, such as teachers or social workers, who are expected to be kind, sensitive and supportive, sometimes held prejudicial attitudes about sexual minorities.

This is unacceptable for Hong Kong’s future as an inclusive society. Such discrimination severely affects the ability of LGBTI people to participate equally in everyday life and opportunities. It also harms employers’ ability to attract and retain the best talent, which seriously affects our city’s continued development and standing as an international business centre.

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