Love Wins: The Road to LGBTI Equality in Hong Kong—and Around the World

We take a look at other places around the world where, despite often enormous odds, love is winning.

China

Homosexuality was decriminalized in China in 1997. Since then, the People’s Republic has seen gradual progress towards a wider acceptance of LGBTI issues, though more in the social arena than the legal. This year, 27-year-old Meng Fanyu was voted the first ever Mr Gay China in the first successful iteration of the competition in the country. A survey suggests that of the 27 million users of Blued, China’s largest gay dating app, less than 5 percent are out.

Q: What are the main challenges of being gay in Chinese society?  

A: I would say the biggest difficulty in the region would be the uneven protection across China for the rights of LGBTI people, which are part of the human rights of every Chinese citizen. Hong Kong and Taiwan fare a bit better in terms of equal protection under the law. However, there are still lapses. Hong Kong still lacks legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and sexual identity. 
— Raymond “Slow Beat” Chan, Hong Kong’s first and only gay legislator 

Read More: Everything You Need To Know About Pink Dot 2016

Nepal

The Himalayan nation is now considered a world leader in its approach to LGBTI issues. The abolition of the monarchy in 2007 paved the way for new laws that legalized homosexuality. Nepal took another leap forward in 2015, with the introduction of a constitution that, among other things, enshrines in law the right of Nepalis to display their preferred gender on their identity cards, as well as provisions against discrimination on grounds of gender or sexual orientation. Nepal is also the home of Sunil Babu Pant, who in 2008 became the first openly gay member of parliament in Asia, serving until 2012.