Japan Press Weekly

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2019 November 20 - 26 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Rally held to call for legislation allowing same-sex marriage

A rally took place on November 19 in the House of Representatives members’ office building in Tokyo to demand the establishment of legislation allowing same-sex marriage.

In the rally hosted by the civil organization “Marriage for All Japan”, plaintiffs in five court battles across the nation for the legislation of same-sex marriage appealed for the need to establish legislation to this effect.

Speaking on behalf of the organizers, lawyer and “Marriage for All Japan” co-head Terahara Makiko said that the objective of the plaintiffs’ legal battle is to win a court ruling recognizing that not allowing same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. She added that the plaintiffs are also seeking to revise the Civil Code and raise public awareness of the issue.

A woman who is a plaintiff in the Tokyo lawsuit said that she has long been working to increase public understanding of LGBT issues and communities, but she had to jump over a high hurdle before starting her court battle calling for a same-sex marriage law. Her partner, who is also a plaintiff, said that same-sex marriage is legal in many countries and that she cannot understand why it is not legal in Japan.

American Chamber of Commerce in Japan Chairman Christopher J. LaFleur gave a lecture. He stressed that in order to attract high-quality human resources, it is necessary to create a working environment in which diverse workers can work without anxieties. LaFleur noted that rules banning discrimination are essential. He pointed out that Japan does not have a legal ban on discrimination against LGBT communities and that Japan is the only G7 country that does not allow same-sex marriage. He said that there will thus be many foreign people who are discouraged from working in Japan.

Along with Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers, Yamazoe Taku, Ito Gaku, Kira Yoshiko, and Shimizu Tadashi, lawmakers from other political parties participated in the rally.

Past related articles:
> Public call for legalization of same-sex marriage is growing [August 8, 2019]
> Japan’s first same-sex marriage lawsuit is not only for couples’ rights but also for inclusive society [February 17, 2019]