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Connor Mycroft

When Margaux and her cousin flew to Hong Kong in mid-November, they looked forward to exploring the city they always wanted to visit for six days.
The transgender women spent about HK$13,200 (US$1,700) on hotel reservations and pre-booked tickets to Disneyland, the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, the Peak Tram and a bus tour. They also set one day aside for a trip to neighbouring Macau.
Having recently visited other destinations in the region, such as Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, without facing gender identity issues, they anticipated a similarly smooth experience in Hong Kong.
Instead, they were denied entry after being grilled by immigration officers over the purpose of their visit.
They were held in an area designated for men for around 12 hours before they were flown back to Manila on a morning flight the next day.
“It was traumatising,” Margaux, a 29-year-old payroll analyst who requested to be identified by her first name for privacy concerns, told the Post from her home in Manila.
“I told my cousin I think Hong Kong is not for us. We are not going back.”
Hong Kong has come a long way in its recognition of LGBTQ rights over the past decade, including a landmark ruling earlier this year allowing Hongkongers to change the gender markers on their identity cards without undergoing full sex-reassignment surgery.
But transgender travellers from certain jurisdictions have long faced difficulties entering the city.
In 2016, local rights groups expressed outrage over a similar case, in which two Thai transgender women who wanted to go shopping and sightseeing in the city were refused entry.
Hong Kong is “generally considered an [LGBTQ]-tolerant destination,” according to the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, which warned that “caution is still advised” for travellers.
The US-based association also advised transgender travellers visiting any destination to try to ensure their name, gender and date of birth on their airline reservation match the information displayed on their government-issued photo ID or passport.
People can legally change their gender in 66 jurisdictions, including Canada, Brazil and France, but 32 of them require surgery or medical diagnosis, according to online LGBTQ resource Equaldex.
The Philippines, however, is among the 94 jurisdictions where people are unable to legally change their gender identity assigned at birth.
Documents shared by Margaux with the Post showed that all her flights, hotels and other bookings were made using her male name.
Despite having identified as a woman for around 10 years, Margaux also said she could not provide medical documentation of her transition because she had yet to undergo any form of surgery.

Margaux said that when she tried to get clarity on why she and her cousin were refused entry multiple times throughout their detention period in Hong Kong, immigration officers only told them they “did not fulfil the immigration requirements.”
In a response to questions from the Post, the Immigration Department said it did not comment on individual cases, but that it acted in accordance with the laws and policies in handling them.
“All immigration service staff are well aware of providing quality service without discrimination and treating each member of the public with respect, considerateness and compassion, irrespective of disability, sex, marital status, pregnancy, family status, race, nationality and religion,” it said.
The Post asked whether there were specific policies immigration officers should follow when handling transgender travellers, including whether they are required to provide medical proof, but the department referred to their previous answer.
It also said it did not keep statistics on the number of transgender travellers denied entry to Hong Kong.
A check by the Post showed that few jurisdictions publicly provided immigration policies or procedures for transgender travellers looking to enter the country.
In 2022, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that gender considerations would be removed from airport security screening, so transport security administration agents had to only check whether the name on a passport or ID matched that of the boarding pass.
Customs and Border Protection agents were also provided new guidelines including using gender-neutral language and an individual’s self-identified pronouns and name.
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, said the pair might have been denied entry because immigration staff were not convinced they matched the travel documents they provided.
“The transgender visitors probably look very different from their passport photos so their identity was in doubt,” the former security minister said.
Zephyrus Tsang Ling-yin, co-founder and co-director of trans support group Quarks said how immigration officers treated Margaux was “disappointing.”
“We really see this as a mistreatment,” he said.
Similar stories were not “uncommon,” particularly among transgender women travelling from other countries in East Asia due to the lack of gender recognition within jurisdictions such as the Philippines, Tsang said.
He also said they were sometimes assumed to be coming to the city to engage in criminal activity without evidence.
He advised transgender travellers to try and obtain a letter from a doctor or psychiatrist which could serve as proof of their identity, particularly if they are unable to legally change their identity on a passport.
He said the case showed immigration officers and other frontline staff required more sensitivity training.
He noted that in 2020, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau introduced training resources for frontline officers, including from the immigration department, to enhance sensitivity and understanding of sexual minorities.
“Having an inclusive friendly culture is really important [for] Hong Kong [to] be an international metropolis,” he said.


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Two trans women were denied entry to Hong Kong in mid-November. Photo: Felix Wong

Photo taken by Margaux upon her arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport on November 13. Photo: Margaux

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HSBC has argued that it took all necessary steps to clarify the woman’s information in accordance with regulations. Photo: Nora Tam

Lawmaker Doreen Kong (pictured) has said it is unnecessary for the bank to send a letter to Chu’s employer. Photo: Edmond So

The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority has told Chu it will look into the case. Photo: Edmond So

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Henry Edward Tse with his new ID card. The transgender activist has vowed to keep up the fight for equality. Photo: Eugene Lee

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News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Society

Pair were held in male-only area at the airport for 12 hours before being repatriated to the Philippines


Pair were held in male-only area at the airport for 12 hours before being repatriated to the Philippines.


Hong Kong tourism