South China Morning New reports that 5,200 people marched through the city of Hong Kong to demand rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons. That figure is an estimated doubling of the participation in 2011. Equal Opportunities Commission chairperson Dr. York Chow Yat-ngok and participant Lee Faulkner spoke about the need for visibility and laws that protect LGBTs:
“LGBTs [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people] face discrimination at home, in education, in the workplace and in social circles. Hong Kong should move ahead, and I hope you can influence everyone in society to move forward,” said Chow, addressing the crowd gathered at Victoria Park.
The ex-health secretary is pushing for the discrimination laws to cover sexual minorities, and has said change, though it might take time, was inevitable.
“We have to be visible,” said Lee Faulkner, a 52-year-old actuary and internet radio operator. “Hong Kong is a tolerant place, but scratch the surface and it’s not a tolerant place.”
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