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Activist organizations and legislators express worries about the decreasing advertising budget allocated to the group tasked with advancing sexual diversity.

For the first time in ten years, a Hong Kong government task force did not carry out any promotional activities related to gender identity and sexual orientation in the most recent fiscal year, raising worries that officials are adopting a less enthusiastic approach toward the local situation.LGBTQ community.

Data from the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Unit (GISOU), part of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, also indicated that it received just seven complaints between 2015 and 2025, a number that activist organizations claimed did not represent the true situation.

Although the city does not have specific laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, the GISOU receives such complaints, yet lacks the legal power to address them. The unit consists of only two executive officers.

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The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), however, deals with complaints related to gender dysphoria, which is covered under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.

In response to the South China Morning Post, a bureau spokesperson disclosed that GISOU did not conduct any promotional activities during the previous fiscal year. He mentioned that the unit “had to concentrate on several key tasks,” but did not offer additional information.

He stated, ‘The government continuously seeks more efficient ways to advance our message.’

Official data also revealed a decline in the GISOU’s expenditure on promotional activities in recent years, dropping from HK$2.52 million (US$321,740) in 2021-22 to HK$1.79 million in 2024-25.

Even without a promotional campaign during the previous fiscal year, the unit has allocated HK$1.2 million (US$153,210) for advertising activities in 2026-27 — a 33 per cent decrease compared to 2024-25.

Founded in 2005, the GISOU oversees the initiation of awareness and educational campaigns and carries out studies concerning matters related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

The body also oversees the Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) Funding Program, which offered approximately HK$401,000 in support to seven community initiatives during 2025-26, representing a 43 per cent reduction compared to the prior fiscal year.

Legislator Reverend Peter Douglas Koon Ho-ming urged the government to restart public awareness initiatives and emphasized the significance of consistently advocating for the concept of a society that embraces all.

The government must explain to the public why it halted the promotional activities,” he stated. “Has the situation in Hong Kong improved considerably? Or does it believe that such campaigns are no longer necessary?

Koon stated that the GISOU was the sole governmental body focused on tackling discrimination toward sexual minorities and must carry out its responsibilities consistently and firmly.

Francis Tang Yiu-kwong, the leader of the activist organization Gay Harmony, raised doubts about whether the government remains dedicated to tackling the issues faced by sexual minorities.

He mentioned that the GISOU’s promotional budget was limited, comparable to the HK$1.5 million allocated for one community care team, which are groups established in each of the city’s 18 districts to assist the government and enhance local networks.

A medical team supporting a residential area with thousands of residents can receive several million dollars,” he said. “And there are at least hundreds of thousands of individuals who belong to sexual minority groups.

Tang mentioned that the GISOU had previously maintained regular contact with the LGBTQ community, but these interactions have not occurred in recent years. He called on the government to reestablish communication with the advocacy groups to gain a better understanding of their requirements.

The GISOU provides a helpline for questions and grievances.

However, the unit has only received seven complaints in the last ten years, or less than one complaint annually on average.

The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau stated that the number of complaints has stayed consistent in recent years, but did not reveal if the GISOU had examined the causes for the low number or if it intended to increase promotional activities.

Jerome Yau, one of the founders of HK Marriage Equality, an LGBTQ organization, mentioned that individuals within the community frequently hesitated to report incidents because there was no particular law addressing discrimination based on sexual orientation.

They will believe that submitting a complaint is ineffective, as there is ultimately no legal enforcement mechanism,” he stated. “Some think there is no appropriate channel for filing a complaint. Even if they do, what impact will it have?

The EOC, the official organization tasked with implementing the city’s anti-discrimination laws, received 12 reports about discrimination connected to gender dysphoria in the previous year, marking the highest number in the last five years, and more than twice the amount recorded in 2024.

Yau urged the government to establish a system that motivates citizens to disclose instances of discrimination related to sexual orientation or gender identity, stating that this initiative would also aid in gathering more accurate and impartial information.

He also called on officials to speed up the implementation of a “Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordinance” and continue educational initiatives, along with providing additional support for programs that truly promoted social integration and respect towards sexual minority communities.

The issue of LGBTQ rights in Hong Kong gained attention last year after the government introduced the Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill, aiming to provide “essential rights” to same-sex couples, following a 2023 decision by the Court of Final Appeal.

However, the bill was turned down by the legislature, after which officials stated they would explore implementing administrative actions to safeguard the rights of same-sex couples.

Last week, Hong Kong’s biggest annual LGBTQ celebration, Pink Dot HK, revealed that it had to cancel the gathering for the second consecutive year, following the property management company Link Reit’s decision to no longer provide a rental space for the event.

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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.

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