Hong Kong court rules gay couple eligible for spousal benefits

June 6 (UPI) -- A Hong Kong man won a battle for spousal benefits for himself and his British husband in a landmark ruling Thursday.

The Court of Final Appeal unanimously ruled in favor of Angus Leung Chun-Kwong, a senior immigration officer, and Scott Adams after a long battle with the Hong Kong government.

"Love wins!" said Leung, who was traveling overseas but took a flight back to Hong Kong immediately upon learning the news.

He called it a "small step for equality in Hong Kong" and urged the government to take the opportunity to review and rectify policies and legislation that were discriminatory against sexual minorities.

The couple got married in New Zealand in 2014.

The ruling allows Adams to receive medical and dental benefits from his spouse. The court also allowed the couple to file a joint tax return.

"How is it said that allowing Mr. Adams medical and dental benefits weakens the institution of marriage in Hong Kong?," the judges wrote in their ruling. "It cannot logically be argued that any person is encouraged to enter into an opposite-sex marriage in Hong Kong because a same-sex spouse is denied."

The couple's lawyer Mark Daly said it's a "big step toward recognizing the dignity of the LGBTQ community."

The ruling follows a separate case in which the Court of First Instance ruled in favor of a gay activist who was fighting discriminatory laws. The court struck down or revised seven laws that discriminated against gay men.

Last year, the Court of Final Appeal recognized an overseas lesbian marriage, allowing the woman's spouse to get a visa.

The news comes weeks after Taiwan became the first Asian country to allow same-sex marriage. Hong Kong's definition of marriage is still between a man and a woman.