HKFP Lens: Hong Kong LGBTQ+ groups stage ‘Rainbow Strength’ fitness contest after Pride market venue axed

LGBTQ+ groups in Hong Kong have staged an inclusive fitness event dubbed “Rainbow Strength,” after their annual Pride market faced venue cancellations for a second consecutive year – renewing concerns over dwindling civic space in the city.

The Hong Kong Pride Committee announced on Saturday that the fitness contest – featuring 16 participants across various gender identities and sexual orientations – went ahead as planned, marking the launch of this year’s Pride festivities.

“Rainbow Strength” took place after the “Rainbow Market,” originally scheduled for this month, was scrapped following the sudden cancellation of its venue booking at Central Market. Venue manager Chinachem Group attributed the move to a “booking overlap” and apologised for the mistake, pledging a full refund.

In a statement, the Pride Committee said it was deeply grateful that the fitness contest was successfully held, noting major LGBTQ+ rights events “have run into setbacks” in recent years.

“We believe that the successful staging of large-scale LGBTQ+ rights events allows Hong Kong to present itself as a diverse and inclusive international city, and is an important part of telling Hong Kong’s story,” the committee said.

The fitness competition, held at an indoor location in Kwun Tong, consisted of three divisions: “Beach Shorts,” “Sportswear,” and “Bikini.”

Organisers said contestants were evaluated on criteria including physique and stage presence, with the judging conducted in a way that promoted gender diversity and mutual respect.

Contestants hailed from Hong Kong and overseas, the committee added.

Andy Wong, a former member of the Hong Kong bodybuilding team who represented the city at the Asian Games, led a five-member panel to adjudicate the competition.

The committee also said that the Rainbow Market would be held later this month as an exclusive event for its members following the venue cancellation, with details to be announced on social media platforms.

The committee comprises four local LGBTQ+ groups: Les Corner Empowerment Association, Rainbow of Hong Kong, the Association for Transgender Rights, and Made in Gender. The groups organised the city’s first Pride Parade in 2008, with the last parade held in 2018.

See also: Timeline: Hong Kong civil society’s mysteriously axed venue bookings

The committee was denied approval for a march in 2019 over safety concerns and held a static rally instead.

The following year, the parade went online due to Covid-19 restrictions. The organisers began adapting their annual Pride Parade into an indoor market event in 2021, owing to what they described as “changes in the social environment.”

Last year, organisers booked the Kwun Tong Promenade for the Rainbow Market, but the booking was abruptly axed. The event was instead held at another indoor venue.

In September last year, Hong Kong’s legislature voted down a bill to establish legal recognition for same-sex partnerships, dealing a major blow to the city’s LGBTQ+ rights movement.

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Hans Tse is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press with an interest in local politics, academia, and media transformation. He was previously a social science researcher, with writing published in the Social Movement Studies and Social Transformation of Chinese Societies journals. He holds an M.Phil in communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Before joining HKFP, he also worked as a freelance reporter for Initium between 2019 and 2021, where he covered the height - and aftermath - of the 2019 protests, as well as the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.