Hong Kong to Host 2022 Gay Games - What?

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fountainhall

Hong Kong to Host 2022 Gay Games - What?

Post by fountainhall »

This should be a proud day for Hong Kong, for the city only decriminalised male homosexuality in 1991. In the decades beforehand, the Hong Kong Police Force had a Special Investigations Unit whose job was exclusively to root out homosexuals from the upper echelons of Hong Kong society! Each year a handful of gay men would be jailed to discourage others.

Since then Hong Kong has become much more liberal with gay bars, saunas and clubs now spread throughout much of the centre of the city. However, homophobia still exists. Whereas the Courts in Taiwan which had been under martial law only 30 years ago have now removed the barriers to gay marriage and the recent Pride Parade attracted nearly 125,000 participants, Hong Kong has made no move towards gay marriage and its 2016 Parade almost a year ago attracted a mere 6,000. Still, the Hong Kong bid team was supported by numerous major corporations, including Cathay Pacific, Credit Suisse and prominent law firm Linklaters.

Gay rights activists are naturally ecstatic. Not so the city and its ruling sports officials who are clearly embarrassed by the decision. This from an article 2 days ago in the city's South China Morning Post.
Unfortunately, reactions from our city officials sounded like the village elders in Dirty Dancing when Patrick Swayze wanted to introduce dancing. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s pursed lip response was that she had “noted” the event.

Our sports chief, Timothy Fok Tsun-ting and his son Kenneth Fok Kai-kong (the honorary deputy secretary general of the city’s Sports Federation and Olympic Committee), remain silent.

Not only is the stench of intolerance all too visible, but it is a terrible attitude to display for a city that is trying to undergo economic transformation. It threatens to drive away the kind of talent that Hong Kong desperately needs to build a New Economy driven by technological innovation and creativity.

Never mind the millions of dollars that will come from the thousands of athletes and spectators who will participate and attend the games. According to a Kent State University study, the 2014 Gay Games generated US$52.1 million for Cleveland and north-eastern Ohio’s economy.
http://www.scmp.com/business/article/21 ... e-we-ready

It will be interesting to hear Beijing's reaction - if there is one. Homosexuality is not illegal on the mainland, but neither is it encouraged.
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