US consul general to Hong Kong and his husband announce birth of son

The couple’s announcement drew congratulations online, and renewed calls from the city’s LGBT community for the government to introduce policies friendlier towards ‘rainbow families’

‘Same-sex couples do raise families, and if our society really cherishes family values, then it should treat same-sex couples equally,’ one activist says

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US consul general Hanscom Smith and his husband Ying-tsung Lu have announce the birth of a son, Julian Hanscom Lu Smith. Photo: Facebook

Published: 6:32pm, 5 Jan 2022Updated: 8:33pm, 5 Jan 2022

The United States’ top envoy to Hong Kong and his husband have announced the birth of a son, drawing congratulations online and prompting renewed calls from the city’s LGBT community for the government to introduce policies friendlier towards “rainbow families”.

“Eric and I are proud to announce the birth of our son Julian Hanscom Lu Smith,” US consul general Hanscom Smith said in a Facebook post on Wednesday featuring a photo of the couple and their newborn in front of Mount Rushmore. “We are happy to be parents, and looking forward to returning to Hong Kong and introducing Julian to his new home.”

Smith made headlines in 2016 – when he was serving as consul general in Shanghai – after photos of his wedding in San Francisco to Taiwan native Ying-tsung Lu, who also goes by Eric, generated widespread interest in China.

Hanscom Smith (right) and Ying-tsung Lu’s wedding in 2016, when the former was serving as consul general in Shanghai, sparked a conversation in China. Photo: Facebook

China, like Hong Kong, does not allow same-sex marriage, and advances on LGBT rights locally have been piecemeal.

Jerome Yau Ming-lock, chief executive of the LGBT rights group Pink Alliance, said he was very happy for the couple.

“Same-sex couples do raise families, and if our society really cherishes family values, then it should treat same-sex couples equally,” Yau said.

“Rainbow families are nothing new in Hong Kong, and hopefully more rainbow families will feel comfortable sharing their experience so that more people can understand that rainbow families are just like traditional families.”