Pride or prejudice? Sexual orientation, gender identity and religion in post-colonial Hong Kong

This article examines both the promise and limitations of law in regulating public and private treatment of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) minorities in the context of post-colonial Hong Kong. Tracing the development of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights after the decriminalisation of homosexuality by Hong Kong's colonial legislature in 1991, the article argues that the current government intransigence towards the development of SOGI-specific antidiscrimination legislation is intrinsically tied to aspects of British colonial legacy that continue to be salient today, including Hong Kong's uneasy relationship with China; an under-developed constitutional jurisprudence on the freedom of religion as protected in Hong Kong's Basic Law; and the pervasive reach of religious institutions in public life, including through the provision of education, social and welfare services.