Same-Sex Couples in Their Thirties Draw Up Wills — Protecting the Values and Dreams Behind

From This Day Forward

By Lo Hin-leung. Published: 2024-06-15 11:01 (Updated 13:09).
Original article: https://www.hk01.com/article/1028613

Partial excerpt:

Alan and Hong, Sonia (pseudonym) and Caroline (pseudonym) — two same-sex couples in their early thirties — have both registered marriages overseas. However, Hong Kong law does not recognise overseas same-sex marriages, so in the event of misfortune they have no legal protection. They have prepared wills; Alan and Hong have even signed Advance Medical Directives and Enduring Powers of Attorney. To plan for life and death so young, in their eyes, is not only about asset distribution but about extending values and dreams.

Met at Church, Married Online

“Through every disaster and trial, in every circumstance, will you remain forever faithful?” “I will.” — These are the wedding vows of Hou Wing-chiu (Alan) and Cheng Tze-hong. Alan, a technical project management lead at an insurance company, and Hong, a stage and education worker, met in 2017 at the LGBTQ-affirming church BMCC (Blessed Ministry Community Church). They fell in love several years later and, during the COVID pandemic in 2022, married through an online notarisation service in the US state of Utah, exchanging vows from their home.

In the interview Hong joked, “Since we had the opportunity, why not give it a try? We could always divorce — just go online.” Alan didn’t get angry; he smiled and said, “Better to give it everything and have no regrets.”

Once the laughter passed, Hong donned a “safety helmet” and said, “I know now that I didn’t choose wrong,” before turning serious about why Alan drew up the will: “He’s interesting — he has so many plans, owns a property, wanted to marry me, has a blueprint that just keeps going, and I follow his blueprint. Until recently — I don’t know why — he had a calling from somewhere a few months back. He suddenly turned to me and said, ‘How about drawing up wills?'”

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Special thanks to Tongxing 同行 and HK01.