Nine LGBT rights organisations issued a joint statement against the government’s decision to delay legislation to protect sexual minorities on Thursday.
The protest came after the government released a report by The Advisory Group on Eliminating Discrimination against Sexual Minorities, which concluded that “more studies and public consultation are needed” on the issue. The report, released at the end of 2015, took two and a half years to compile.
The groups held a press conference, which was attended by some of the cities’ most high-profile gay figures such as lawmaker Ray Chan Chi-cheun, singer Denise Ho Wan-see and Anthony Wong Yiu-ming.
Chan, who is also a member of the advisory group, said that 80 percent of the members in the group supported legislation but the report failed to represent that. He said he has asked for his name to be taken off the report for this reason.
Singer Wong, who is also co-founder of the Big Love Alliance, said the world is moving towards legalising gay marriage, but the Hong Kong government is still dodging the issue.
Ho said discrimination against LGBT people happens on a daily basis. She urged the government to take action “before something tragic happens”, Apple Daily reported.