Public Attitudes Towards Transgender People and Antidiscrimination Legislation

Abstract

Discussion about transgender issues in Hong Kong has increased in recent years. This development was spurred in part by the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal’s decision in W v Registrar of Marriages, which held that a transgender woman had a right to be recognized as a woman for the purpose of marriage. In light of these changes, we conducted a survey to gauge Hong Kong people’s awareness of what the term “transgender” means. The survey also investigated Hong Kong people’s attitudes towards transgender people and towards antidiscrimination legislation to protect transgender people. This paper proceeds in three parts. First, we provide background on our survey. Second, we present our findings. Third, we conclude by commenting on the relevance of our findings to public policy debates about transgender issues.