Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2017 August 30 - September 5 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

LGBT-rights group asks JCP for cooperation in building discrimination-free society

A group working for the establishment of a law to protect LGBT rights visited Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers at the Lower House lawmakers’ office building lobby on August 29, making a request regarding the budget formulation for fiscal 2018.

JCP members of the House of Representatives Ikeuchi Saori, Ohira Yoshinobu, Shimazu Yukihiro, Hatano Kimie, and Horiuchi Terufumi as well as JCP members of the House of Councilors Kira Yoshiko and Kurabayashi Akiko met with the visitors. Ikeuchi said, “We will act upon your request.”

The group’s representatives told the JCP legislators that people have now begun to understand what sexual orientation or gender identity is, but that many still do not know about the degree of discrimination against LGBT people. The group pointed out that they need the situation confronting the LGBT community addressed.

The group requested that the environment be improved in the areas of education, employment, healthcare, welfare, public services, and private services so that sexual minorities can live without discrimination.

Coleader of the group Ikeda Hiroshi in the meeting said, “We’d like you to investigate the number of companies and organizations which take preventive measures against sexual harassment or discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and also like to know if positive benefits result from such measures. Our request is that the JCP conduct research to determine which practices in place achieve the best results to utilize them for the betterment of society.”

Deputy Secretary General of the group Masuhara Hiroko said, “Transgender people have to meet very strict requirements to change their registered gender. They need to undergo a sex-change surgery based on the Act on Special Provisions for Handling Gender for People with Gender Identity Disorder.” She then talked about the actual situation where many transgender people give up even going to see doctors because of the difference between their appearance and their registered sex on their health insurance cards.

Past related article:
> JCP Ikeuchi calls for enactment of law to protect LGBT human rights [May 8 & 9, 2016]