Hong Kong holds off on annual LGBTQ publicity drive. Is a community being forgotten?

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyHong Kong holds off on annual LGBTQ publicity drive. Is a community being forgotten?

Advocacy groups and lawmaker raise concerns over shrinking publicity spending by task force responsible for promoting sexual diversity

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Matthew ChengPublished: 9:00am, 24 May 2026For the first time in a decade, a Hong Kong government task force did not conduct any publicity campaign covering gender identity and sexual orientation in the latest financial year, triggering concerns that authorities are taking a lukewarm attitude towards the local LGBTQ community.

Figures from the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Unit (GISOU), which falls under the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, also showed that it only received seven complaints from 2015 to 2025, a figure that advocacy groups argued did not reflect the reality.

While the city lacks specific legislation against discrimination based on sexual orientation, the GISOU accepts such complaints, but has no legal authority to follow up on cases. The unit also comprises just two executive officers.

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The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), on the other hand, handles complaints involving gender dysphoria, which is protected under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.

In a reply to the South China Morning Post, a bureau spokesman revealed that the GISOU had not carried out any publicity work in the previous financial year. He said the unit “had to focus on a number of important tasks”, but stopped short of providing further details.

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“The government consistently explores more effective means to promote our message,” he said.

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