The newly established Rainbow of Macau association said Sunday that it would strive to protect the rights of the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual (LGBT) residents in any way possible.
Lam Ka Long, who heads the group, made the remarks to The Macau Post on Sunday.
The 28-year-old founding president said that the group was officially registered last week and that it was the first group focused on the rights of the city’s LGBT residents.
According to a statement released by the group, Lam was elected president of the board of directors.
Lam, who used to work as a journalist in a local media company and now works full-time for the association, said the group would use various ways to inform the public about the local LGBT community and fight for their rights.
“In the middle of May we plan to host a conference that will include a transsexual from Hong Kong to share her experiences regarding her decision to change her sex from male to female,” Lam said, adding that his group also planned to organise a parade to give locals a better understanding of their LGBT fellow citizens.
“Of course, we are going to hand in petitions to the government …or organise protests demanding equal rights for the city’s sexual minorities, if necessary,” Lam stressed.
Lam and high-profile activist Jason Chao Teng Hei, who heads the grassroots New Macau Association (NMA), have repeatedly petitioned the government to include same-sex couples in a draft bill on the prevention of domestic violence. (macaunews)
