Lawmakers in Hong Kong on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would have extended limited legal rights to same-sex couples.

The New York Times notes 71 of the Legislative Council’s 89 members voted against the measure that would have allowed same-sex couples who either legally married or entered into a civil union overseas to register their partnerships in Hong Kong. The measure, among other things, would have allowed registered same-sex partners to make medical decisions on each other’s behalf.

The Hong Kong Court of Appeal in September 2023 ordered the government to establish a system through which same-sex couples can legally register their partnerships.

The Washington Blade previously reported Jimmy Sham, a pro-democracy activist who married his partner in the U.S. more th

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