Hong Kong to Co-Host Gay Games Despite Conservative Pushback

A group of conservative politicians urged authorities to cancel the first Gay Games in Asia, citing potential violations of a broad national security statute. This sparked a political reaction in the co-host city of Hong Kong.

The four-decade-old competition, which unites athletes from all backgrounds to participate in a festival of sport, art, and culture, got underway on Friday with joint hosts Guadalajara, Mexico, and Hong Kong, as reported by CNN.

Critics Comment, Organizers Respond

However, some inside the Chinese financial powerhouse have vocally opposed the new "patriots only" political system that Beijing imposed in the wake of massive, frequently violent demonstrations for democracy in 2019.

On Wednesday, eight local politicians endorsed a conservative group's petition demanding the cancellation of the games, claiming the event promoted LGBTQ rights and propagated "Western ideology".

The organizers of the Gay Games have responded to the objections expressed by MPs in Hong Kong by stating that the event would be a joyful, non-political celebration of inclusion.

(Photo: by PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images))
Athletes from Singapore attend the opening ceremony of the Gay Games in Hong Kong on November 4, 2023, as more than a thousand athletes gathered in the Queen Elizabeth Stadium to open the Gay Games, the first time the international LGBTQ sporting event has come to Asia.

They also disregarded worries that the accusations might discourage others from going.

More Restrictions for China's LGBTQ Population

The statements made by politicians who support Beijing come at a time when Xi Jinping is making more and more restrictions on the space available to China's LGBTQ population.

In Hong Kong, same-sex marriage is prohibited, and there is no legal prohibition against discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, Hong Kong has always had a sizable and active LGBTQ population and serves as a financial and international gateway to China.

Government prohibitions on same-sex equality, such as the prohibition on gay marriage, have been successfully contested in court on several occasions. The most recent of these was in September when the city's highest court mandated that officials devise a civil partnership substitute for same-sex couples.

However, the city has also changed as a result of the 2019 demonstrations, with Beijing employing a recently enacted national security law that criminalizes much dissent to crack down on pro-democracy campaigners.

Although the LGBTQ community has not been singled out by the law, several of Hong Kong's well-known democracy campaigners were outspoken advocates of more equality and have either departed the country or faced legal action under the broad legislation.

National security offenses are punishable by up to life in prison, and the law has given officials the authority to seize assets and established a far higher bail requirement for people who are detained.

Beijing also imposed on Hong Kong a new political system, under which candidates for elected office or other high-ranking government posts had to undergo a screening process to determine their level of Chinese patriotism and whether or not they were a threat to national security.

Originally scheduled to take place in 2022, Hong Kong was selected as the exclusive location in 2017. However, due to the city's stringent coronavirus regulations at the time—which had been in place for far longer than any other locations in the world—it had to be delayed for a year.

Then, in a move that caused some controversy, Guadalajara was added as a joint host—the first for Latin America. Participants expressed worries about their safety in a place where drug cartel violence is rampant.

Athletes from Taiwan specifically cited Hong Kong's national security regulations as the reason they didn't feel comfortable visiting the city and that they would be arrested if they waved the Taiwanese flag.

According to the Taiwanese Gay Sports and Movement Association, its competitors will compete in the Mexican leg. Taiwan is home to a flourishing LGBTQ population and was the first country in Asia to allow same-sex unions in 2019.

Despite never having held power, China's Communist Party declares democratic self-ruled Taiwan to be its own territory and has promised to "reunify" it eventually, using force if necessary. The state of Taiwan-China relations is at its lowest point in many years.