Gay Games Kick Off in Hong Kong Despite Opposition from Lawmakers

The 11th Gay Games kicked off on Saturday in Hong Kong, in spite of opposition from some anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers. The event marks the first time the Gay Games is being held in an Asian country. 

Originating in San Francisco in 1982, the Gay Games started as a cultural sports event to promote the acceptance of gender and sexual diversity, giving a platform to LGBTQ+ athletes and artists. This year, the games will host around 2,400 athletes from over 45 different territories, competing in a variety of sports events from tennis and fencing to dragon boat racing. 

The Hong Kong event is being held concurrently with the Mexican city, Guadalajara, which will feature most of the same events. This will also be the first time the international sports event has been held by two countries jointly. 

LGBTQ+ activism in Hong Kong has made significant progress, although Hong Kong is still under a government crackdown in response to pro-democracy protests in 2019. LGBTQ+ activists hope that the games will bolster support for wider inclusion of sexual minorities in Hong Kong, especially with recent court wins over the past few months in favor of housing and inheritance rights for same-gender couples. This year has seen a lot of progress for LGBTQ+ rights in Hong Kong and, in September, courts moved to recognize same-sex partnerships.

However, LGBTQ+ rights in Hong Kong are not wholly secure. Anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation have not been enacted, and same-gender marriage is yet to be recognized. A significant portion of society in Hong Kong is still socially conservative, although there is growing acceptance for sexual minorities, especially among younger generations. 

A group of pro-Beijing lawmakers, like Junius Ho, have vocally opposed the event which is set to run into next weekend. Ho asked Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to stay vigilant of “bad ideologies” infiltrating the city and acts of “soft resistance” in an open letter he posted to Facebook. 

Ho and other critics of the games believe that the games advocate for legalizing same-gender marriage which, they claim, violates a Beijing-imposed national security law instituted after the protests in 2020. 

In contrast, another pro-establishment politician, Regina Ip, a high-ranking member of Hong Kong’s executive council, has voiced support for the games. Ip not only attended the opening ceremony, but delivered the welcoming address proclaiming “history is being created today.” Ip went on to say, “Equal opportunity and non-discrimination are highly treasured by our government and our people.” Ip says Hong Kong is proud to be the first Asian city to host the Gay Games, emphasizing the city’s commitment to making a name for itself as one of the “world’s most open and liberal cities.” Ip remains a controversial figure in Hong Kong politics for her adamant defense of Hong Kong’s defense force and support for affinity for the mainland government. 

Meanwhile, some LGBTQ+ advocates have expressed concerns over Hong Kong hosting the games, stating they thought the event should not be held in a country that doesn’t support the rights of the athletes competing. Hong Kong’s security law has previously been used to threaten human rights activists with arrest and life in prison. Hong Kong and Beijing continue to defend the security law, claiming it stabilized the city. 

In order to ensure the safety of their athletes, Taiwan opted to send their competitors to the games’ co-host, Guadalajara. Taiwan is the only region in Asia to allow same-gender marriage, and in October, it hosted over twenty annual pride parades. 

Organizers of the games insist that the games taking place in Hong Kong is a net positive. “We believe that hosting the Games for the very first time here will be a momentous experience and a cornerstone for our Asian community as well as for the whole world,” reads their official website. “GGHK can bring all of us together in the name of Sport, Fairness, Respect and Friendship.”

Photos courtesy of social media