Same-Sex Couples In Hong Kong Now Have The Same Housing And Inheritance Rights As Heterosexual Couples
The move comes after Nick Infinger, a man from Hong Kong who married his same-sex partner in Canada, sued the government in 2018.
Same-sex couples in Hong Kong now have the same housing and inheritance rights as heterosexual couples.
This comes after Nick Infinger, a man from Hong Kong who married his same-sex partner in Canada, sued the government in 2018.
Infinger and his partner were not allowed to apply for public housing provided by the government because they were not recognized as an "ordinary family".
This is because in Hong Kong, the constitution only recognizes “marriage” as being between a man and a woman.
Infinger won the case in October 2023, but the government disagreed and took it to the top court in February 2024.
Ultimately on Tuesday, Nov. 26, the top court ruled against the government, finding that denying same-sex couples access to public housing "cannot be justified."
It also found that the government's failure to treat same-sex couples equally in inheritance cases was "discriminatory and unconstitutional."
Speaking after the ruling, Infinger said the verdict showed same-sex couples "can love each other and deserve to live together.”
In September 2023, a court in Hong Kong ruled that the government must legally recognize same-sex partnerships.
However, it still did not find its ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
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