Current:Home > ScamsHong Kong court upholds rulings backing subsidized housing benefits for same-sex couples-LoTradeCoin
Hong Kong court upholds rulings backing subsidized housing benefits for same-sex couples
View Date:2024-12-23 19:25:46
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court on Tuesday upheld two earlier rulings that supported the granting of subsidized housing benefits to same-sex couples, in another victory for the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
The decision rejected appeals by the Housing Authority of the earlier rulings, which said some of its policies violated the constitutional right to equality.
One of the policies denies same-sex couples married overseas eligibility to apply for public rental housing as an “ordinary family.” The other excludes same-sex married partners of owners of subsidized apartments from being defined as “family members” and “spouses,” blocking them from receiving joint occupancy and ownership rights that heterosexual couples enjoy.
Judges of the Court of Appeal said the differential treatment “is a more severe form of indirect discrimination than most cases because the criterion is one which same-sex couples can never meet.”
The ruling is expected to have a strong impact on the lives of same-sex couples.
Currently, Hong Kong only recognizes same-sex marriage for certain purposes such as taxation, civil service benefits and dependent visas. Many of the government concessions were won through legal challenges in recent years as the city has seen a growing social acceptance of same-sex marriage.
Last month, the city’s top court ruled in a landmark decision that the government should provide a framework for recognizing same-sex partnerships.
Henry Li, who was involved in one of the housing benefit cases, said in a Facebook post that he was thankful for the court decision and hoped the Housing Authority would not file another appeal.
The organization Hong Kong Marriage Equality said on Facebook that the ruling showed that public policies should protect everyone’s interests and shield them from discrimination based on their sexual orientation.
veryGood! (47)
Related
- Sofia Richie Reveals 5-Month-Old Daughter Eloise Has a Real Phone
- Where is 'College GameDay' for Week 12? Location, what to know for ESPN show
- California man allegedly shot couple and set their bodies, Teslas on fire in desert
- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had mild stroke this month, team says
- Zendaya Shares When She Feels Extra Safe With Boyfriend Tom Holland
- Former West Virginia jail officer pleads guilty to civil rights violation in fatal assault on inmate
- RHOP's Candiace Dillard Bassett Gives Birth, Shares First Photos of Baby Boy
- Drone footage captures scope of damage, destruction from deadly Louisville explosion
- Trading wands for whisks, new Harry Potter cooking show brings mess and magic
- Oklahoma school district adding anti-harassment policies after nonbinary teen’s death
Ranking
- Halle Berry Rocks Sheer Dress She Wore to 2002 Oscars 22 Years Later
- ‘COP Fatigue’: Experts Warn That Size and Spectacle of Global Climate Summit Is Hindering Progress
- Caitlin Clark's gold Nike golf shoes turn heads at The Annika LPGA pro-am
- Chipotle unveils cilantro-scented soap, 'water' cup candles in humorous holiday gift line
- Only 8 monkeys remain free after more than a week outside a South Carolina compound
- What do nails have to say about your health? Experts answer your FAQs.
- Mike Tomlin's widely questioned QB switch to Russell Wilson has quieted Steelers' critics
- Disease could kill most of the ‘ohi‘a forests on Hawaii’s Big Island within 20 years
Recommendation
-
'Dangerous and unsanitary' conditions at Georgia jail violate Constitution, feds say
-
Women suing over Idaho’s abortion ban describe dangerous pregnancies, becoming ‘medical refugees’
-
Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
-
Jessica Simpson's Husband Eric Johnson Steps Out Ringless Amid Split Speculation
-
Jeep slashes 2025 Grand Cherokee prices
-
McDonald's Version: New Bestie Bundle meals celebrate Swiftie friendship bracelets
-
Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody
-
Vogue Model Dynus Saxon Charged With Murder After Stabbing Attack