Hong Kong will be the first Asian city to hold the Gay Games starting Friday, co-hosting them with a Mexican city in one of the financial hub's biggest events since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hong Kong will be the first Asian city to hold the Gay Games starting Friday, co-hosting them with a Mexican city in one of the financial hub's biggest events since the COVID -19 pandemic , despite calls for a ban from activists and legislators opposed to LGBTQ efforts .
The Chinese -ruled city lacks laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation and does not recognize same-sex marriage, but its LGBTQ community has scored some legal victories this year.The most important was the ruling handed down in September by its highest court, which set a period of two years for the government to establish a legal framework that recognized unions between people of the same sex.
More than 2,300 athletes from 45 countries , including the United Kingdom, China, South Korea and the United States , are expected to participate , organizers Gay Games Hong Kong (GGHK) said .
"Not only have we been able to introduce the games to the region, but we have the largest number of participants from Asia who have joined the Gay Games in its 41-year history," Alan said at a press conference on Thursday . Lang , co-president of the organization.
The government of the former British colony has approved the Gay Games , which run until November 11, but has advised organizers to respect laws and regulations in a "safe and orderly manner . "
"Our goal is not to advocate for any specific political or legislative change, but to provide a platform for sport, arts and culture that promotes inclusion and diversity ," the Games organizing committee stated this week.
However, concerns about the national security law that Beijing has just imposed in Hong Kong will keep the Taiwanese delegation away.
"The main reason... this time is that the safety of Taiwanese players cannot be guaranteed ," said Yang Chih-chun of the Taiwan Gay Sports and Movements Association , adding that it had been "a painful decision." " Do not send athletes.
Instead, Taiwanese athletes will go to the Mexican city of Guadalajara , which is co-hosting the Games at the same time.
Several Hong Kong lawmakers have publicly expressed their opposition to the event, saying it posed a threat to national security, subverted traditional Chinese family values and followed a "Western ideology . "
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