Trailblazing in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Standard

"We trail the rest of the world when it comes to tolerating alternative views of sex and marriage," writes Kenneth Foo in the Hong Kong Standard. "That's the opinion of those behind the Fifth Hong Kong Sex Cultural Festival."

Sex festival sees more as best for happy marriages

...They say the [HK] territory needs to be more open-minded and are advocating group marriages as a solution to the high divorce rates in modern society.

"We hope the festival can open up the public's views towards alternative systems of marriage because the traditional relationship between one man and woman is getting outdated," founder Emil Ng Man-lun said.

With the theme "Sexuality Untied: Spatial, Social and Relational," this year's festival seeks to further society's understanding of the multiple views of sexuality in order to promote tolerance and harmony in the community.

With almost one in every two couples getting divorced these days, group marriages may be a viable option, Ng said....

Hong Kong Sex Association president and festival organizer Stanislaus Lai Ding-kee knows such liberal views are bound to draw flak from conservatives and religious groups, but stresses they are not demanding people ditch monogamy right away.

"Rather, we want them to be aware that there are alternative systems for relationships out there like polyamory that may be possibly better than the traditional monogamous relationship," Lai said.

Polyamory is a practice where individuals are consensually open to loving more than one person at a time.

Lai said Hong Kong is sexually conservative due to the heavy influence of conservative Christian and romantic values on sex that recognize monogamy as the only way to love.

He added that Western countries, and even [mainland] China, are far more accepting of unconventional approaches to sex and marriage....

The whole article (Mar. 6, 2012).

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