Hong Kong Cancels Largest LGBTQ+ Festival Amid Pressure From China

Hong Kong has cancelled the largest LGBTQ+ festival Pink Dot HK, which was scheduled for June 14, 2026. The organizers cited licensing issues with the venues: the management company Link REIT was unable to lease the spaces at Stanley Plaza and Murray House. In 2025, the festival was also cancelled three months prior without explanation.

“With only a month left until the scheduled date, we have faithfully followed the procedures to apply for the necessary licenses but have yet to receive approval from the relevant authorities,” the organizers stated on May 18.

Pink Dot is an annual carnival that promotes diversity and raises LGBTQ+ awareness. It features performances by activists and artists.

The cancellation of the festival occurs against the backdrop of China’s tightening control over Hong Kong. For decades, Hong Kong has operated as a special administrative region, but in recent years, mainland China has actively suppressed local pro-democracy movements and independent activism.

In 2020, under pressure from Beijing, Hong Kong passed the National Security Law . The authorities claimed it was necessary to combat protests, but human rights defenders view it as a tool to suppress criticism. In 2021, Hong Kong changed its electoral system: now only “patriots” loyal to the Chinese Communist Party can be elected to the Legislative Council, effectively eliminating the opposition.

In 2024, an internal security law (known as Article 23) was passed. It criminalized most forms of dissent, equating them to treason and subversion. Now, national security cases are heard by government-appointed judges without juries.

The increased control has led to the closure of independent media and human rights organizations, as well as a reduction in LGBTQ+ events. Public pride parades have not been held in Hong Kong since 2018. In November 2025, the Hong Kong Pride Committee cancelled its festival on the Kwun Tong promenade. In 2023, the region’s only LGBTQ+ radio show, We Are Family, was shut down after 17 years on air.

State support for human rights initiatives is also shrinking. In January 2026, Hong Kong Free Press reported that the government’s Equal Opportunities funding scheme financed little-known organizations with pro-China ties. Among them was a group supporting conversion therapy. Meanwhile, well-known LGBTQ+ organizations that previously received grants regularly were rejected. This year, the fund distributed only a third of its 1.2 million HKD budget (about 153,000 USD).

Representatives of non-profit organizations attribute this to loyalty politics. “They don’t want people to use their money to influence public opinion and achieve real outcomes that could lead to reforms,” stated Henry Tse, founder of Transgender Equality Hong Kong.

Hong Kong decriminalized homosexuality in 1991, and the region has laws protecting against discrimination by the state. However, there is no comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in the areas of housing, employment, and public services. Same-sex marriages and child adoption for such couples remain banned.

In September 2025, the Legislative Council rejected a proposal to create a registry for same-sex couples, which would have allowed partners to make medical decisions for each other. At the same time, since 2024, transgender people can change their gender marker on documents without full surgery, although strict medical requirements remain in place.