The hurdles are truly never-ending for the queer community. Hong Kong’s largest LGBTQIA+ event, Pink Dot, has had to cancel this year’s edition after being denied its usual venue in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
According to the organisers, they were already busy preparing for the event that was to be held on October 12, when they were suddenly told ‘that the venue could not be rented to us, without any explanation provided’. Since there are few other outdoor venues suitable, and how hard it would be to find another location on such a tight timeline, they’ve had no choice but to cancel this year’s event. 2025 would have marked Pink Dot’s 11th edition running.
Every year, Pink Dot is a carnival that raises awareness for the queer community and promotes diversity in Hong Kong with talks, performances, booths, and more. LGBTQIA+ events have been finding it harder to host large-scale gatherings in Hong Kong over the past few years – the last time our city saw a pride parade was back in 2018.
Pink Dot’s cancellation comes at a time when the Hong Kong government is attempting to pass a bill on legally recognising same-sex partnerships for couples who have registered their union overseas.
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