Hong Kong Denies Britons the Ability to Marry at British Consulate

Hong Kong has forbidden the British consulate from performing same-sex marriages of British citizens and their partners at the British consulate. The decision comes in response to a new measure by the British Foreign Office allowing the marriages of gay Britons in the consulates of foreign countries where same-sex marriage is currently illegal.

Agence France Presse reports: 
"Before the UK legislation that governs same-sex marriages was implemented earlier this month, we asked the Hong Kong government for their agreement to perform such ceremonies here," a spokesperson for the British consulate general said in a statement.

Hong Kong's LGBT activists expressed outrage at their government's decision. Nigel Collett, secretary for gay rights group Pink Alliance, accused the government of "denying any form of increase of rights" for gay people in the city-state.

"Hong Kong is making a fool of itself while Moscow and Beijing have taken a more sensible view for something that does not concern their citizens," he said.

Other countries where Britons can get married in their consulate include Australia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, and Vietnam.

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