Latest news with #sameSexCouples
South China Morning Post
05-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong housing authorities quietly open door for same-sex couples
Hong Kong's housing authorities have opened up applications for public rental and subsidised homes to same-sex couples as part of efforts to address a ruling from the city's top court last year, the Post has learned. The measures, including modifying the application form for seeking second-hand subsidised homes, were implemented without any public announcement. While lawmakers said the government had responded to the Court of Final Appeal's decision prudently and within a reasonable time frame, a concern group expressed hope that the changes could have been publicly announced. In a reply to the Post, the Housing Authority said: 'Upon receiving [public rental home] applications involving same-sex married spouses, we will handle the case in accordance with the practice adopted for the 'ordinary families' applicant category.' A spokesman added that the authority would continue to process such applications and those for buying subsidised flats from same-sex married couples. The authority had yet to receive any public rental housing applications from any same-sex couples as of Thursday.
South China Morning Post
05-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong housing authorities quietly open door for same-sex couples
Hong Kong's housing authorities have opened up applications for public rental and subsidised homes to same-sex couples as part of efforts to address a ruling from the city's top court last year, the Post has learned. The measures, including modifying the application form for seeking second-hand subsidised homes, were implemented without any public announcement. While lawmakers said the government had responded to the Court of Final Appeal's decision prudently and within a reasonable time frame, a concern group expressed hope that the changes could have been publicly announced. In a reply to the Post, the Housing Authority said: 'Upon receiving [public rental home] applications involving same-sex married spouses, we will handle the case in accordance with the practice adopted for the 'ordinary families' applicant category.' A spokesman added that the authority would continue to process such applications and those for buying subsidised flats from same-sex married couples. The authority had yet to receive any public rental housing applications from any same-sex couples as of Thursday.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Same-sex penguin couple raising rare chick at U.K. zoo
Scampi and Flounder, a pair of male Humboldt penguins, are stepping up to raise a chick at Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom. The chick is one of 10 born during what zoo team manager Zoe Sweetman described in a Thursday news release as a "bumper year for the penguins here." Humboldt penguins are one of the most at-risk of the world's 17 species of penguins and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. There are now 63 penguins in the colony at the zoo. Penguin pair Wotsit and Peach laid two of the eggs that hatched this year, according to the zoo. Experts at the zoo shared the eggs between the nests of Wotsit and Peach and Scampi and Flounder. "The zoo's bird experts carefully shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and help improve chances of successful fledging," the zoo wrote in the news release. Same-sex penguin couple Scampi and Flounder are raising a chick at the Chester Zoo. Chester Zoo Penguin eggs are incubated for around 40 days and, once an egg is produced, it takes about three days before the chick hatches. While a zoo spokesperson said Scampi and Flounder have never hatched and raised a chick before, same-sex penguin couples are not unheard of. In 2018, two male penguins at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in Australia hatched a chick, and then in 2020, a pair of female penguins at an aquarium in Spain welcomed a baby chick. In 2022, a male penguin couple at a zoo in New York state became parents. Penguin parents share feeding and parenting duties. Chester Zoo keepers provide fish, which the parents swallow and blend into a "protein-rich soup," which they regurgitate to feed the chicks, according to the zoo. Eight of the 10 penguins hatched at Chester Zoo this year have been named in the weeks since they hatched in April. "This year we've gone with a celestial theme for naming the chicks and we've had a lot of fun coming up with names inspired by stars, constellations and cosmic wonders," Sweetman said. Scampi and Flounder's chick Chester Zoo The zoo is taking suggestions on social media before deciding on the names of two of the chicks, but has named the others: Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena. Scampi and Flounder's chick will have its name picked on social media. The zoo has not specified if the chick is male or female. Since their births, the fluffy penguin chicks have nearly quadrupled in size, according to the zoo. "They're now days away from a really exciting milestone — their very first swimming lessons, which is always a thrill to witness as they dive into the pool for the very first time," Sweetman said. Humboldt penguins, native to South America, are vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss, according to the zoo. Population numbers have decreased by around 85% in the last 40 years. "The penguin colony at Chester Zoo plays a vital role in the international breeding program for the species, helping to maintain a genetically healthy population in conservation zoos across Europe," according to the zoo. Humboldt penguins are carnivores, eating small fish and crustaceans, according to the zoo. They spend up to 75% of their lives in water. They typically live 12 to 15 years, but can live up to 20 years in human care. Many penguins are monogamous, according to the zoo.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Legal recognition for same-sex and surrogate parents proposed
It could be easier for same-sex couples using fertility treatment or surrogacy to be legally recognised as a child's parent in Jersey if law changes are to the Children (Jersey) Law 2002 would also mean people who have consented to fertility treatment and passed away before the birth can be legally recognised as the Richard Vibert, the Minister for Children and Families, said the registration of a parent on a child's birth certificate played a "significant role in affirming a child's identity".He added Jersey was "considerably far behind the UK in legislation" when recognising parents using fertility treatment. Mr Vibert said: "This measure provides a meaningful and symbolic recognition of parenthood, supporting the child's sense of identity and belonging." A parental order would also be included in the law to apply to children born in Jersey through surrogacy."A parental order transfers legal parenthood from the surrogate to the intended parents, extinguishing the surrogate's parental responsibility and granting the intended parents full parental responsibility," Mr Vibert said. "This ensures that the child is legally recognised as the child of the receiving parents alone."
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gay penguin couple Scampi and Flounder are stepping up to raise chick at UK zoo
A same-sex penguin couple have become parents for the first time to a baby chick at Chester Zoo. Male penguins Scampi and Flounder have shared a close bond for a few years and have now stepped up to raise a chick. The pair took on the parenting responsibility after ten Humboldt penguin chicks arrived at the attraction in April. Another penguin couple, Wotsit and Peach, laid two eggs and zookeepers decided to allow the males to raise one of the chicks themselves. The Chester Zoo team said this was to allow each pair to focus solely on one chick and increase the chance of both fledgling. Same-sex relationships are not unheard of in the penguin world and a gay pair called Sphen and Magic became world-famous after raising two chicks at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in 2020. Both male and female penguin parents usually share feeding duties but in an a 'heartwarming development' Scampi and Flounder have taken on the role together. Adorable photos show the youngsters undergoing regular weigh-ins and are said to be just 'days away' from their first swimming lessons. A Chester Zoo spokesperson said: 'Penguin couple Wotsit (male) and Peach (female) are first time parents. 'They laid two eggs and the keeper team decided to give one of their eggs to couple Scampi and Flounder to raise. 'This is just to help give each chick the very best chance of fledging the nest and so the new parents have one chick to focus on. 'Our keepers refer to Scampi and Flounder as a gay couple as they share a really close bond and have been together for a few years - which is why they were trusted to raise and care for one of the eggs and raise a chick.' Zoe Sweetman, team manager of penguins at Chester Zoo, said: 'Ten chicks hatching in one season marks a bumper year for the penguins here. 'It's fantastic news for the species and a brilliant success for the international conservation breeding programme. 'The fluffy new arrivals are all being looked after brilliantly by their parents, having nearly quadrupled in size since they first emerged. 'They're now days away from a really exciting milestone - their very first swimming lessons, which is always a thrill to witness as they dive into the pool for the very first time.' Humboldt Penguins Scientific name: Spheniscus humboldti This South American penguin is named after the chilly Humboldt current, along which the penguins commonly swim. In the wild, Humboldt penguins are vulnerable to disturbances in their food chain caused by strong El Nino currents. Humboldt penguins are social animals, living in relatively large colonies of closely spaced burrows. Humboldt penguins 'fly' through the water at speeds of up to 25mph. They enjoy a diet of small fish (anchovies, herring, smelt) and crustaceans. The highly-threatened Humboldt species is one of the most at risk of extinction out of the world's 17 species of penguin. Bird experts shared the eggs between the two nests to help give both chicks the best possible start and help improve chances of successful fledging. The chicks began hatching from their eggs between April 16-28 and have spent their first few weeks of life tucked away in their nest burrows. Keepers have now named eight of the penguins after constellations and celestial wonders - Ursa, Alcyone, Quasar, Orion, Dorado, Cassiopeia, Altair and Xena. Zoe added: 'In what has been one of our long standing traditions, each year we pick a fun theme to help name our chicks, which helps us keep track of who is who now that there are 63 penguins in the colony. 'This year we've gone with a celestial theme for naming the chicks and we've had a lot of fun coming up with names inspired by stars, constellations and cosmic wonders. 'But we've saved the final two names for the public, who can help us choose via the zoo's social media channels.' Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Found on the rocky coastal shores of Peru and Chile, they face a number of threats in the wild, including climate change, overfishing and rising ocean temperatures.
