Hong Kong gay law appeal
The Hong Kong government has appealed a landmark High Court ruling that found laws punishing gay male sex with life imprisonment were unconstitutional and discriminatory.The government said last week it would challenge the August High Court judgment, which said laws prohibiting sexual relations between men if one or both partners were less than 21 were demeaning of gay men, 365Gay.com reported.The government said its appeal followed significant public concern. The lawyer of the 20-year-old gay man who challenged the anti-gay law said he was surprised at the Hong Kong government’s move.We should start acting like a world city and stop lagging behind on human rights issues such as these, Michael Vidler said.A date for the appeal has yet to be set, Reuters reported. Under current Hong Kong law, gay male sex is punishable with life imprisonment if either partner is under 21. The age of consent for heterosexual and lesbian sex is 16.
