Japan Press Weekly

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2018 July 25 - 31 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

LGBT communities protest against LDP lawmaker’s ‘unproductive’ remark

A nationwide organization of LGBT communities, which is working to have a law banning discrimination against LGBT people established, on July 23 released a statement protesting against Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Sugita Mio’s assertion that LGBT couples are “unproductive”.

Sugita made the controversial assertion in her article questioning the protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people which was published in the August issue of a conservative magazine.

The Japan Alliance for Legislation to Remove Social Barriers based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (J-ALL) in its statement pointed out that Sugita wrote the article without giving careful thought to the actual conditions of sexual minorities, describing her assertion as both insulting and humiliating. The statement also points out that her article infringes on LGBT people’s human rights.

J-ALL member Masuhara Yuko said, “Many people in the LGBT community are angered by Sugita’s article. It’s shameful that a person elected to the Diet made such an overtly discriminatory remark.”

On the following day, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Diet affairs committee acting chair Yamauchi Koichi said to the press that what Sugita said is unforgivable. Meanwhile, LDP Secretary General Nikai Toshihiro at a press conference showed a stance of approving Sugita’s biased remark by saying, “Different people have different political positions and views of life.”

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira has demanded that Sugita withdraw her remark and apologize, if not, leave office.

Past related article:
> Sexist LDP lawmaker should apologize or resign: JCP Koike [July 24, 2018]