Japan Press Weekly

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2021 March 24 - 30 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Group supporting same-sex marriage asks JCP for cooperation in legalizing same-sex marriage

The Marriage for All Japan, a civic group calling for the realization of social acceptance of same-sex marriage, met with Japanese Communist Party lawmakers in the House of Representatives members' office building on March 25, asking the JCP for cooperation in legally allowing same-sex marriage in Japan.

Kurabayashi Akiko (Upper House), Shimizu Tadashi (Lower House), and Ito Gaku (Upper House) received their visit.

The Marriage for All Japan has filed lawsuits with five district courts against the present government policy. A plaintiff in the Kyushu lawsuit said, "My family has close ties with my partner's family, but we are not a legally-recognized family. We want to be a family covered by law." A lawyer of the Tokyo lawsuit counsel requested that the cross-party parliamentarians' league dealing with LGBT issues hold hearings to directly listen to same-sex couples.

JCP Kurabayashi said in response, "The opposition parties agree on the need to eliminate discrimination against LGBT. We will work on the central government to achieve equality under the law."

Earlier on the same day, the Marriage for All Japan held a rally in the Lower House members' office building and reported on the latest Sapporo District Court ruling (Mar.17) that not allowing same-sex marriage is a "violation" of equality under the law as stipulated in Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution. Rally participants confirmed that they will work to urge Dietmembers to swiftly amend relevant laws based on Article 99 of the Constitution which obliges all public offices to abide by the supreme law.

JCP members of the Lower House Shimizu Tadashi, Hatano Kimie, and Motomura Nobuko as well as JCP members of the Upper House Kira Yoshiko amd Yamazoe Taku took part in the rally.

Past related article:
> Sapporo district court recognizes ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional [March 18, 2021]