Lesbian newlyweds Jaedyn Yu and Gloria Tsang believe a recent ruling by Hong Kong to veto a bill that would have allowed limited legal rights for same-sex couples shows how the city lags internationally on human rights.

The bill represented an opportunity to implement what would have been a rare liberal shift in Hong Kong's legal landscape, amid a yearslong crackdown on dissent and the city's pro-democracy opposition under a China-imposed national security law.

Yu and Tsang, who have been together for around five years, met thanks to their shared passion for music — Yu, 35, is a drummer and Tsang, 33, a vocal percussionist.