Established in 1996, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) is the city's statutory body responsible for promoting diversity and equality, and fostering an inclusive society in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Dr York Chow Yat-ngok, the commission's new chairperson, has promised to make legislation to protect gay rights a top priority during his three-year term.

It seems that the "Peter Principle" (the proposition that states that the members of an organization where promotion is based on achievement, success, and merit will eventually be promoted beyond their level of ability) has yet to manifest itself in Chow, a former secretary for food and health and a devoted Christian in his late 60s, who seems destined for bigger things.

A few days ago, we read in the news that Chow believes the time is right for Hong Kong to contemplate civil unions as a "feasible" alternative to allowing gay and lesbian people to marry. If that's not a marriage, I think he meant "to unite".

Amid an international debate on gay marriage, Chow says other governments consider it a "matter of human rights" to allow people to marry others of the same sex. "If a person gets married and then changes his or her gender, this becomes a same-sex marriage. Whether this should be legally enforceable remains contentious," he says. "And an ensuing question is: should same-sex marriage be allowed as well?"

What a wonderful mind of Chow's! Same-sex marriage should be allowed not because people of the same sex are mutually attracted to one another, but because the society should keep marriage legally enforceable even after one of the spouses changed his or her gender!

Our very confused Chow will be seen officiating at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Sex Cultural Festival 2013 as a special guest. The festival is jointly organized by the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Sex Education Association. During the ceremony, Chow will have the opportunity to enjoy a dance performance by Elements - a gay volunteer group.

We used to think that the Family Planning Association is a bore, but it proved itself the progressive kind. In fact, it is so progressive that it is on the verge of going insane.

To find out how Hong Kong people's sexual activities were related to the city space, the Organizing Committee of the Hong Kong Sex Cultural Festival conducted a "Survey on Sexual Activities and City Space" from March to August this year. According to the press release, the results show that more than 80 percent of the 559 respondents regarded space for sexual activities in Hong Kong as insufficient or highly insufficient. It also found 70 percent of the respondents had had or thought about sexual activities at places other than their residence. Among them, nearly 70 percent had had or thought about sexual activities in a hotel or hostel. About 20-30 percent chose other places such as a public swimming pool or the beach, the dormitory, the park, a private car, the toilet, the office, the school and the bush.

Obviously, these family planning people know nothing about lust, fantasy or fetish. "Had had" is not something similar to "had thoughts about". There are people who had fantasies, and there are people who acted out their fantasies. Only fools will put them together in a sociological study.

According to one of the organizers, "crowded living environment and the quest for quality sex life have become conflicting factors in our society." Can he read? People chose (or thought about choosing) places such as a private car, the toilet or the office. They prefer a smaller place.

What we should be concerned about is that 20 percent of the respondents have no fantasies whatsoever. It is like reading in the news the other day that 69 percent of the 500 respondents rejected "substantial degradation" of 3G mobile services, such as "dropped calls and slower or interrupted data transmission". What? 31 percent of the respondents did not care?!

In this regard, it is comforting to know that 95 percent of the respondents took satisfying one's sexual desire as a basic human need. We are glad to know that another core value is discovered, in addition to same-sex marriage and uninterrupted 3G data transmission.

The author is a current affairs commentator.

(HK Edition 10/26/2013 page1)