HK Court Rules Gay Couples Get Equal Housing Rights

A Hong Kong court has dismissed the government's attempt to deny same-sex married couples the right to rent and own public housing, deeming it "discriminatory in nature" and a complete violation of the rights of such couples, as reported by Jessie Pang for Reuters.

The ruling, delivered by Hong Kong's Court of Appeal, marks the latest in a series of legal victories for advocates of gay rights in the global financial hub this year.

The ruling, delivered by Hong Kong's Court of Appeal, marks the latest in a series of legal victories for advocates of gay rights in the global financial hub this year.

The government had contested two High Court rulings that deemed it "unconstitutional and unlawful" for the city's housing authority to exclude same-sex couples who married abroad from access to public housing.

The appeal encompassed two cases.

In one case, the housing authority rejected an application from a permanent resident to rent a public flat with his husband, as their marriage in Canada was not recognized in Hong Kong.

The other case involved a same-sex couple who were denied the opportunity for joint ownership of a government-subsidized flat by the housing authority due to their marriage in Britain not being recognized in Hong Kong.

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