HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage and civil union partnerships on Friday after a lesbian identified as ‘MK’ launched the city’s first judicial challenge on the issue, stating it violated her constitutional rights.

Rights group Amnesty International described the judgement as a “bitter blow” for LGBT+ people in Hong Kong.

“Sadly, the discriminatory treatment of same-sex couples will continue for the time being,” Amnesty said in a statement.

The Court of First Instance ruled that the government was not obliged to provide an alternative legal framework such as civil unions, giving same-sex couples the equal rights and benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex married couples.

The court said that, while there are diverse and opposing views in society, it expressed “no view on the associated social, moral and/or religious issues” and that it had adopted a strict legal approach to the matter.

(Agencies)