HONG KONG politicians voted down legislation today that would have granted limited recognition to same-sex partnerships in the Chinese city.

The Registration of Same-Sex Partnerships Bill, unveiled in July, stemmed from one of the legal victories that pushed the government to offer more equal rights to the LGBTQ+ community.

However, the proposal met with fierce opposition from politicians, even though it followed the top court’s 2023 ruling that the government should provide a framework for recognising such relationships and giving it two years to work out a solution.

Of the politicians who attended the meeting, 71 voted against the Bill, 14 approved it and one abstained.

The legislation proposed to allow residents who have already formed unions overseas to register their partnerships locally and would have granted them rights in handling medical and after-death matters for their loved ones.

That included the ability to access their partners’ medical information, participate in healthcare decisions with consent and claim their deceased partners’ remains.

Many LGBTQ+ rights advocates in Hong Kong were already unsatisfied with the proposed Bill as its proposed registration system was only open to those in registered overseas unions, but they still expressed frustration over its rejection.

Activist Jimmy Sham, whose legal challenge won the 2023 top court ruling on same-sex partnerships, told reporters after the vote that he had expected the outcome, saying he hoped the government would pass legislation in the future that fulfilled its constitutional duty towards the LGBTQ+ community.

“I hope today marks a beginning we haven’t yet stepped into, rather than an end,” he said, adding he would study how to follow up on the matter with his legal team.