Read more: Asia ‘at a crossroads’ in fight for LGBTQ+ rights
The heated debate began when lawmaker Regina Ip urged the government to support the game’s organiser as they have been experiencing difficulties in finding event venues. Ip made the case that it’ll help maintain the city’s metropolitan image and boost the economy, reported South China Morning Post.
Fellow politician Junius Ho shot down the idea and said that it’ll be akin to taking “dirty money”. “We respect people with different sexual orientation,” Ho said. “Whatever you do in your room, it’s your own business. But if you do it in public, it’s disgraceful.”
Ricky Chu, chairman at the Equal Opportunities Commission fought back against the clear LGBT bias. “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill,” he said in a local radio interview. “All people can participate in the sports event and it is completely different from advocating same-sex marriages in the city.”
He added that leaders’ inflexible attitude “will only bring more harm than good” to HK. “The Gay Games is a public event in which everyone can participate, regardless of your race, sex or sexual orientation,” he said. “We hope society can stop the stigmatisation and uphold the values of equality and respect.”
