An estimated 9,500 people participated
in Hong Kong's seventh annual Pride Parade.
Among those calling for the government
to recognize the unions of gay and lesbian couples with marriage and
extend anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation were
ten top diplomats from the United States, Britain and France, among
others, the South
China Morning Post reported.
The parade took place a day after
Cardinal John Tong Hon, Hong Kong's top Roman Catholic cleric, called
on followers to vote against candidates who support LGBT rights in
the city's upcoming elections.
“In the upcoming District Council
election and future polls, I urge all believers … to consider
candidates' and their parties' stance on family and marriage issues,
as well as their position on a law to ban discrimination on grounds
of sexual orientation,” Tong wrote in a letter, adding that the
movement to increase LGBT rights had “shaken our society to its
core.”
Tommy Jai, one of the parade
organizers, said: “We have waited 20 years for anti-discrimination
legislation already, and that's far too long.”