Hong Kong judge rules in favor of transgender bathroom access
Judge Russell Coleman approved the judicial review of K, who was born a woman and identifies as a man, saying the regulations contravene an article of the city's mini-constitution that stipulates all residents should be equal before the law.
But he suspended the declaration to strike down the regulations for a year to allow the government 'to consider whether it wishes to implement a way to deal with the contravention.'
He said in the judgement that the regulations and 'drawing the line of a person's biological sex at birth create a disproportionate and unnecessary intrusion into the privacy and equality rights.'
The ruling marks another step forward in recognizing the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Chinese financial hub. In recent years, the government has revised policies following activists' wins in legal challenges.
Currently, only children under 5 years old accompanied by an opposite sex adult can enter a public washroom designated for the opposite sex. Those violating the rule face a fine of up to 2,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $255).
K launched a legal challenge in 2022, seeking to expand the exemption to pre-operative transgender people who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and have a medical need to undergo the process of living in their identified gender.
He argued that his constitutional rights were infringed by the prohibition against him using public toilets allocated for men, the court heard. The government did not immediately comment.
Quarks, a group serving transgender youth in Hong Kong, welcomed the ruling, urging officials to take immediate action to rectify what it called long-standing discrimination in the system.
'The ruling is not just an affirmation of transgender rights legally but also a big step forward for Hong Kong's overall human rights development,' it said on Instagram.
In 2023, Hong Kong's top court ruled that full sex reassignment surgery should not be a prerequisite for transgender people to have their gender changed on their official identity cards.
The next year, the government revised its policy to allow people who have not completed full gender-affirmation surgery to change their genders on ID cards as long as they fulfill certain conditions. The conditions include the removal of breasts for transgender men, the removal of the penis and testes for transgender women, and having undergone continuous hormonal treatment for at least two years before applying.
Applicants also have to continue their hormonal treatment and submit blood test reports for random checks upon the government's request.
In April, activist Henry Tse, who won the legal battle in 2023 and received his new ID card reflecting his gender change last year, lodged a fresh legal challenge over the new requirements.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: U.N. tech chief
The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. Lack of AI policies or strategies "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the U.S. approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85% of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. Huge gap The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Geneva: The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations ' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin , head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union ( ITU ) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. 'Critical' "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. 'Huge gap' The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
China detained activist-singer, says Tibetan exile govt
A young Tibetan singer and activist has been detained by Chinese authorities, the India-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said. Tzukte, popularly known as Asang, was taken into custody sometime in early July after he sang a song eulogising Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, the CTA said in a statement Saturday (July 27, 2025). The CTA, which functions as a government-in-exile but is not officially recognised by any country, said the arrest was "part of Beijing's broader campaign to suppress Tibetan voices, specially Tibetan artists and writers". China considers Tibet an inalienable part of its territory and has ruled the region with an iron fist since its troops crushed an uprising for autonomy in 1959. Chinese authorities did not respond to a request for comment. "His detention, without charge or information on his whereabouts, violates international human rights norms and underscores China's ongoing assault on freedom of expression, cultural rights, and religious belief in Tibet," the CTA said. Asang, who is in his twenties, is a student of Gebe, a prominent Tibetan singer supporting the Tibetan cause through his music. Earlier this year, Asang reportedly appeared in public in the Ngawa region of Sichuan province with the word "Tibet" written on his forehead — a gesture that drew widespread praise online but also intensified scrutiny from officials. Rights activists have regularly voiced alarm at Beijing's alleged efforts to erase cultural and religious identity in Tibet.
