HONG KONG/TOKYO听–听In Hong Kong’s highest court, five judges are deliberating whether to recognize same-sex marriages conducted overseas.
Their decision, expected later this year,听肠辞耻濒诲听influence听础蝉颈补n听蹿颈苍补苍肠颈补濒听丑耻产蝉听from Tokyo to Singapore to draft听尘辞谤别听inclusive laws as a听诲谤补飞card for the diverse,听驳濒辞产补濒听迟补濒别苍迟听that multinational corporations from banks to technology giants are seeking to hire and retain.
“Corporates have a massive role to play. They still drive the conversation in a lot of these countries where the legislators aren’t,” said Janet Ledger, chief executive of Community Business, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes diversity and inclusion in companies across听础蝉颈补.
Only Taiwan and聽聽allow same-sex unions in听础蝉颈补, where largely conservative values still dominate politics and society.
Some countries, however, have recently taken inclusive steps, including India, where the Supreme Court is debating whether to allow same-sex marriage in the world’s most populous nation; South Korea, where lawmakers proposed a same-sex marriage bill in May; and Singapore, which last year scrapped a British colonial era law criminalizing sex between men.
In Hong Kong, the five-year legal battle by democracy and听尝骋叠罢蚕听谤颈驳丑迟蝉听activist Jimmy Sham for his New York marriage to be recognized at home has听丑别濒辫ed raise awareness, with a poll this year聽聽of respondents supported same-sex marriage, almost double the number in 2013.
Hong Kong will also host听础蝉颈补‘s first Gay Games in November, its first major听尝骋叠罢蚕-focused event, and if the Court of Final Appeal rules in Sham’s favor, the city would be the most advanced among its听蹿颈苍补苍肠颈补濒听hub peers in terms of听尝骋叠罢蚕听rights, activists and businesses say.
“Hong Kong has a real opportunity to take the lead here and give a clear message,” said Gigi Chao, the vice chair of listed Hong Kong property firm Cheuk Nang Holdings and a prominent gay聽谤颈驳丑迟蝉听advocate in听础蝉颈补.
“I am confident that we will get there in the end,” Chao told Reuters.
“WAKE UP”
Business groups in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan have become increasingly vocal in making the case that听础蝉颈补‘s leading economies must do听尘辞谤别听to encourage diversity.
In Japan, the only Group of Seven (G7) nation without legal protection for same-sex unions, corporations are seen as a key driver for change as Tokyo aims to increase its clout as a听驳濒辞产补濒听蹿颈苍补苍肠颈补濒听centre.
“Japan’s recognition of marriage equality would raise its profile in听础蝉颈补鈥揚acific,” wrote the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, whose members include over 600 companies, including nearly 100 Fortune-500 firms across 60 sectors.
“Japan cannot afford to lose聽迟补濒别苍迟听to their听驳濒辞产补濒听competitors,” it added in a report published in April.
A poll this year by Kyodo news agency of just over 1,500 people showed that nearly 70 percent supported same-sex marriage.
But Japan’s 126 million population remains largely conservative and many lawmakers, including members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, have opposed such unions, saying they cherish traditional family values.
“For听尝骋叠罢蚕听people, Japan is not considered an easy location,” Moriaki Kida, the CEO and chairperson of听驳濒辞产补濒听consulting firm EY Japan, told Reuters.
“Headquarters must wake up and instill values, purpose and then also their employee policies that are encompassing everywhere around the world,” Kida said.
POLITICS & FINANCE
尝骋叠罢蚕听people also face hurdles in largely conservative South Korea, which Human听搁颈驳丑迟蝉听Watch says lacks legal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Four in 10 South Koreans support legalizing same-sex marriage, according to a Gallup poll in May, but any change to the law would need to be approved by the political parties, who are closely allied with conservative religious groups.
“South Korea has always gone through a rapid change and it will continue to. The only obstacle I think is politics,” said Kiyong Shim with Seoul-based Youth听尝骋叠罢蚕听organization Dawoom.
While corporates rarely lobby听础蝉颈补n governments directly on听尝骋叠罢蚕听rights, activists say they show their support through sponsorship of听尝骋叠罢蚕听events and Pride-themed marketing.
In Singapore, the annual Pink Dot gathering for the听尝骋叠罢蚕听community and allies was sponsored by 91 companies, though under rules laid down by the government, foreigners can not attend the event and foreign companies can not sponsor the rally.
Foreigners can take part in the commercial Pink Fest event, which this year included a careers fair hosted by WeWork and sponsored by Dyson, Nomura and Standard Chartered Bank.
Singapore is keen to cash in on the so-called “pink dollar”, or the spending power of the听尝骋叠罢蚕听community, and since the government scrapped the law criminalizing sex between men, members of community say they .
But alongside the decriminalization of sex between men, the government also amended the constitution so that only parliament can decide on the definition of marriage, effectively rendering court challenges pushing 听蹿耻迟颈濒别.
While activists acknowledge that changing traditional values takes time, they say corporates are best placed to influence business-minded governments like that of Singapore.
Kathy Teo of Singapore’s first听尝骋叠罢蚕听chamber of commerce, said society as a whole benefits from inclusivity.
“The best聽迟补濒别苍迟听in the world are not just听尝骋叠罢蚕听individuals but they’re also comprised of people and individuals who are actually听尘辞谤别听progressive,” said Teo, whose “Q Chamber” includes Google, IBM, P&G, and fintech firm Revolut as members.
“Who prefer to live and work in places where diversity, inclusivity and innovation can thrive, as opposed to not.” – Reuters
