A Hong Kong court rules in favour of gay widower in huge win for LGBTQ+ rights – Gay Times Magazine

The court ruled in favour of Ng and granted him and Li equal ownership of their house. After the ruling was announced the government attempted to appeal the decision.

In an interview with Hong Kong Free Press earlier this year, Li opened up about the case and the emotional toll of these anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

“When your spouse dies, you expect dignity for your spouse and yourself,” he said. “You expect that you will be allowed and empowered to carry out your duties to your spouses such as identifying their body, arranging their funeral and arranging their cremation or burial.

“All of these rights are protected y law but they are denied to married same-sex couples. This kind of discrimination is not acceptable in our society.”

He also revealed the pushback he received from Ng’s mother, who demanded Li that return all of his husband’s possessions and documents to her.

Even with this incredible win, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Hong Kong continues. Homosexuality is legal in Hong Kong, but same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognised, and the country falls behind with anti-discrimination laws in non-government jobs, adoption and surrogacy.

Despite this, Hong Kong made history in 2019, by becoming the first Asian city to host the Gay Games, over competing bids from Washington DC and Guadalajara, in Mexico.