Goldman, BlackRock Fight to Protect LGBT Employees in Hong Kong

When Patrick Sinclair and his husband, Marty Forth, moved to Hong Kong, they took a step back in time. Hong Kong doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage or civil partnerships. That meant Sinclair, a former assistant U.S. attorney in New York who was joining a multinational law firm, couldn’t sponsor Forth for the visa that opposite-sex spouses typically receive. Instead, Forth entered Hong Kong as a visitor and had to make cross-border trips to avoid overstaying his short-term visa. He also couldn’t get a job or join a business, according to Immigration Department rules for visitors. “There’s an emotional toll to it,” Forth says. ...