Related News

Home » Nation

First-ever int'l symposium on LGBTI rights held in HK

HONG Kong and overseas experts discussed today the issues concerning the protection of equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons in Hong Kong and the European Union at a international symposium.

This was the first-ever international symposium on LGBIT rights held in Hong Kong with the theme of "Working Together for an Inclusive Society: LGBTI Rights in Comparative Perspective".

Speaking at the opening ceremony, York CHOW, chairperson of the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), said that as a global city, Hong Kong has an obligation to protect the equal rights of all vulnerable sectors and eliminate discrimination against them in the different aspects of public life.

"In mapping out our approaches to promote LGBTI rights, we should look at what has been done in other jurisdictions who have dealt with similar situations and challenges. This symposium is an important opportunity for mutual learning, with the goal to achieve equal opportunities for sexual and transgender minorities. "

Vincent PIKET, head of the EU Office to Hong Kong and Macau, said that any cultural, traditional or religious values should not be invoked to justify any form of discrimination, including discrimination against LGBTI persons.

"This important event will identify opportunities for advocacy strategies, and find ways to engage effectively with policy-makers to enact change in protecting the rights of LGBTI persons. Moreover, it will contribute to strengthening the bilateral co- operation between the European Union and Hong Kong," he added.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend