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. 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. 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.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT GAS STEAM JAPAN

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. 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.

SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS JAPAN IS GAG MOMENTUM

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. Although the Fuchū Youth Hoe cint was a key event for homosexualy Japan, awarens dated om the Meiji era and gay magaz such as Barazoku (Rose Tribe) had been on sale sce the 1970s.

Dpe this, the ernment swiftly drew up legal measur rponse, far quicker than for matters related to homosexualy; and appears that the reason for this was that genr dysphoria was seen as a medil “illns. ” Meanwhile, homosexualy was viewed as a personal clatn to be alt wh at the dividual Step is Providg Basic RightsIn April 2015, the first ordance Japan regnizg same-sex partnerships me to effect Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. His fay and -workers do not know he is gay, and he hop — at least for now — to keep that way, fearg discrimatn his uple’s story epomiz the ntradictns that shape the liv of gay people across Japan.

GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Gay people face overwhelmg prsure to nform to the silent, stiflg norms of a society which many parents and workers are still unfortable wh the ia of their own children and lleagu beg gay. In an terview wh Shcho 45, a nservative magaze, a lawmaker, M Suga, dismissed gay men and lbians as “unproductive” members of society who would not bear children. Suga speculated that regnizg same-sex marriage uld e Japan to llapse as fac a growg populatn remarks were wily publicized, raisg awarens of discrimatn agast gay people, said Alexanr Dmrenko, a Canadian lawyer and rint of Tokyo who has been a proment advote of same-sex marriage.

“boom, ” Kazuya Kawaguchi, a soclogy profsor at Hiroshima Shudo Universy, poted to two televisn dramas featurg the liv of gay men — “Ossan’s Love” and “What Did You Eat Yterday? Sixty-seven anizatns have signed on to the statement, but so far only a handful have been Japane firms, cludg Panasonic and the buildg materials manufacturer domtic media verage of changg norms abroad has “ntributed to a huge amount of discsn here, very few people the Japane rporate workplace or fay suatns feel fortable g out, ” said Lrence Bat, 63, who beme one of the few openly gay directors of a major Japane pany last year when he was appoted to Panasonic’s board. Nety-six human rights and lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) anizatns signed and sent a letter to the prime mister on April 17, 2020 after several months of ordatn wh related officials, but he has not rpond.