The views of Hong Kong higher education students on same-sex marriage legalisation

Abstract

Hong Kong has yet to legalise same-sex marriage till today. The decriminalisation of homosexuality was only implemented in 1991 and equal age of consent for all genders in 2005 (RTHK, 2022), while discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has not been included in anti-discrimination legislations (HKFP, 2020). The theoretical framework of this paper is based on queer criminology, which looks into the specific experiences within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and all other sexualities’ communities, otherwise known as the LGBT+ community. As rooted in Rubin’s ‘sexual hierarchy’ and heteronormativity theory, anything outside of ‘heterosexual’, ‘monogamous’, ‘marriage’ were not considered to be ‘good, normal, natural, blessed sexuality’ (Rubin, 1984, p. 281). LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and more) communities are marginalised, stigmatised, and sometimes even criminalised, as evident in cultural norms, discrimination, legislations, etc., which is why it is important to explore the topic of queer rights and related legislation. This research explores the views of Hong Kong higher education students on same-sex marriage legalisation through a mix-method approach. This research’s survey results showed that the majority of survey respondents agreed with the statement ‘I support same-sex marriage’. Numerous studies have shown a positive relationship between higher education and homosexuality acceptance (Van den Akker, et al. 2013; Keleher and Smith, 2012; Andersen and Fetner, 2008). This causal relationship can be explained by educational effects explanations (Cambell and Horowitz, 2016). In addition, respondents’ exposure to LGBT+-related media or peers was reported to have a significant relationship with their support of same-sex marriage legalisation. The majority of respondents have watched shows that involve same-sex couples/relationships, have friends that are part of the LGBT+ community, or know anyone, including colleagues, classmates, neighbours, and any queer family members. Furthermore, the majority of respondents also agreed with the statement ‘same-sex couples should or can raise a family’. However, 3 out of 6 interviewees were sceptical of same-sex parents. Moreover, the survey results showed no significant relationship between religion and support for same-sex marriage legalisation. Most of the respondents generally agreed there should be anti-discrimination laws for sexual orientation. As shown in the aforementioned findings, there is an overall trend in participants’ agreement with equal rights and legislation.