The proposal to introduce a new registration mechanism through legislation sparked a rare fiery exchange between lawmakers and officials on Thursday.

The mechanism, proposed by the government on Wednesday, would allow same-sex couples to apply to have their relationship recognised in Hong Kong if they first had it registered in another jurisdiction.

This would also grant same-sex couples some rights, such as those related to medical and after-death matters, but the paper expressly stated that the framework would not be equivalent to marriage.

In a special meeting of the Legislative Council’s constitutional affairs panel, most political parties opposed the proposal, accusing the government of rushing it through the legislature and damaging the city’s social fabric.

They included the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the city’s largest party, which has opposed same-sex marriage.