Gay Rights Movement Gas Steam Japan - WSJ

Contents:

• JAPAN’S SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE IS SOARG. BUT CAN IT BEE LAW?
• GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT GAS STEAM JAPAN
• SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS JAPAN IS GAG MOMENTUM
• GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

JAPAN’S SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE IS SOARG. BUT CAN IT BEE LAW?

The strategi, succs, and great patience of the LGBTQ+ movement Japan offer a valuable glimpse to how queer activism n flourish the socially nservative and culturally homogeneo societi of East Asia.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT GAS STEAM JAPAN

Fdal Japan had been tolerant of homosexualy, but the Meiji Rtoratn and post-World War II era saw the ascent of Christiany the untry, precipatg the outward nservatism that still pervas much of Japane society.

Through workg wh church, paralegal groups, and muny associatns, activists have sought to dispel popular narrativ and trop ncerng gay and lbian dividuals, explicly vokg the centraly of marriage to a stable fay stcture as grounds for marriage equaly.

Over the past six years, activists Japan have prsed the Diet, the natnal parliament, to troduce a nondiscrimatn law that protects the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people. Lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) rights activists Japan and their alli have for years been prsg the Diet, the natnal parliament, to troduce legislatn that protects sexual orientatn and genr inty as grounds for nondiscrimatn. The acronym LGBT (lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr) is still not well-known Japan, and this self dit that awarens of issu relatg to sexual mori lags behd more progrsive natns.

SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS JAPAN IS GAG MOMENTUM

However, Japan has been slow to addrs this realy, and even the difference between homosexualy and genr dysphoria is not wily is not alone this rpect, however. Equaly based on sexual orientatn, unlike the se for race or genr, is only clearly clud as a right unr a handful of natnal prent there is also sufficient backg at the Uned Natns to pass a rolutn on LGBT rights, and some untri still impose the ath penalty for nsensual homosexual behavr. But jt as eedom of thought and nscience was a human right gaed the neteenth century, and the right to livelihood (as typified by “the right to mata the mimum standards of wholome and cultured livg” Article 25 of Japan’s Constutn) emerged the twentieth century, now seems possible the twenty-first century to regnize rights related to sexual Tolerance for Homosexual LoveUntil around the end of the neteenth century, Japane society was extremely tolerant of love between men, and homosexual behavr by samurai, prits, and others was viewed as normal.

This was que different to the suatn Europe, where the fluence of Christiany meant that homosexualy was nsired a s and treated as a crime punishable by the Meiji era (1868–1912), homosexual activy beme associated wh stunt dormori, as picted Mori Ōgai’s Va Sexualis and elsewhere.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

However, late Meiji mornizatn led to the adoptn of the Wtern medil nceptns of homosexualy as an illns, so that this behavr was creasgly seen as world’s first gay rights movement was sparked by a 1969 cint Manhattan. At the time, homosexualy was illegal and a police raid on a gay bar was nothg unual, but this particular se met wh ristance that lated to protts that me to be known as the Stonewall rts om the name of the bar.

It began when the Japan Associatn for the Lbian and Gay movement, monly known as Occur, ed the Fuchū Youth Hoe, a public acmodatn facily n by the Tokyo Metropolan Government. Prevly, the group had ed the facily whout revealg that was a homosexual anizatn, but some members suggted that they should be open and seek the unrstandg of discsg the matter, the group announced at an eveng ssn that s aim was to promote homosexual rights. Moreover, when they subsequently tried to e the Fuchū Youth Hoe they were refed Tokyo Metropolan Government jtified s cisn based on s policy of sgle-sex rooms, argug that the possibily of gay and lbian people havg sexual terurse wh the rooms would create an unwholome environment for young people.

The urt garnered attentn by givg a ntral fn of homosexualy as a sexual orientatn which people are attracted to others of the same sex, and formally acknowledgg the prejudice and opprsn agast gay and lbian people Tokyo Metropolan Government appealed to the Tokyo High Court claimg that 1990 had not had accurate rmatn and therefore had no choice but to refe permissn. It not only cid entirely favor of the platiffs but also ma the followg statement: “It is necsary for ernment bodi to show meticulo nsiratn for homosexuals, as a mory, and to ensure their rights and terts are upheld.