The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal has ruled that the government can no longer deny spousal benefits to same-sex couples, overturning an earlier decision. Angus Leung, the plaintiff in the case, spoke at the Out Leadership Summit in Hong Kong in 2017.
Hong Kong is far more socially liberal than mainland China but its stance on LGBT+ rights remains unclear—earlier this year, the High Court denied gender marker changes to three transgender men because they have not undergone full sex-change operations.
Although same-sex marriage is not recognized in Hong Kong, the ruling is a major step towards equality. Man-kei Tam, Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong, expressed that the decision brings Hong Kong “more in line with its international obligation to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of people with different sexual orientations.”
Read more at Time.