Japan Press Weekly

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2023 May 17 - 23 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

LGBT community criticizes LDP for watering down LGBT bill

A group of sexual minorities, including LGBT people, on May 16 held a rally near the Diet building to protest against the Liberal Democratic Party’s amendment that watered down the cross-party parliamentarians’ group-drafted LGBT bill.

Along with ruling and opposition party Dietmembers, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Miyamoto Takeshi delivered a speech in solidarity.

Transgender activist Asanuma Tomoya pointed out that in reaction to discriminatory remarks by a Prime Minister Kishida aide in February, a movement calling for establishing a law banning LGBT discrimination has been growing. He criticized the LDP not only for showing reluctance to respond to this demand but also for making revisions aimed at weakening the cross-party bill.

Head of the human rights organization called “Fair” Matsuoka Soshi noted that the original version aims to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation, but the LDP version states that there must be no “unjust discrimination”. He said, “There is no ‘just discrimination’. Japan, as the host to the G7 Sumit Meeting, should create an ‘anti-discrimination law’”.

Past related articles:
> Laws embracing same-sex marriage and banning LGBT discrimination are global trend [February 24, 2023]
> JCP Koike: If PM Kishida supports diversity in society, he should realize LGBT equality law [February 7, 2023]