The theme for Hong Kong Pride Parade 2017 is ‘Turn the tide; walk with pride. Discrimination says goodbye.’
‘Turn the tide’ symbolizes to change the situation of LGBT in Hong Kong in the hopes that the new local government administration will come along with a new scenery in the LGBT community where laws and legislations are enacted to grant the community equal rights and protect them from discrimination.
In the beginning of last year, the Equal Opportunities Commission published findings of a research revealing that the majority of Hong Kong citizens are supportive of enacting laws that protect sexual minorities from discrimination. Within the youth population, over 90% were found to be supportive. Hong Kong citizens’ stance on equality and disapproval for discrimination are loud and clear. Regrettably, the last government administration did not fulfil its responsibility to advance measures to protect rights that the LGBT community deserves.
A new government administration has taken office earlier this year. We hope that this will also be a starting point to turn the tide and let discrimination say goodbye. May discrimination become a thing of the past as with the old administration.
On the 25th of November, may all those who support equality and disapprove of discrimination walk with pride and gather in Victoria Park. Let 2017 be a fresh start for turning Hong Kong into an international city that does not discriminate on the basis of gender or sexual orientation.