Japan's gay para returns after 3 years bid for acceptance | Rters

Contents:

• JAPAN'S GAY MUNY PARAS FOR FIRST TIME 3 YEARS
• 2,500 MARCH GAY PRI PARA TOKYO
• JAPAN'S GAY PARA RETURNS AFTER 3 YEARS BID FOR ACCEPTANCE
• SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS JAPAN IS GAG MOMENTUM

JAPAN'S GAY MUNY PARAS FOR FIRST TIME 3 YEARS

So, I was taken aback when I was missned later to wre a feature about 2-Chome Tokyo's Shju district and found one of the world's nst and most diverse ncentratn of gay bars and clubs: roughly 300 bs squeezed to a uple of blocks, cludg sex shops and waterg hol terg to a wi array of tast -- known as kei (specialty). While 2-Chome was emergg as a refuge for homosexuals what was formerly a red-light district, Brish police were still arrtg gay men toilets and public parks.

Unlike many other untri, Japan did not have an anti-sodomy law (sce the enforcement of the old Penal Co 1882, ) nor did have what Mark McLelland, thor of "Homosexualy Morn Japan: Cultural Myths and Social Realti" lled the "anti-homosexual rage" of many Christian cultur, the lethal fuel for homophobia and gay-bashg. Though tated by the ual agoni of personal inty and need for secrecy, gays and lbians Japan didn't suffer the same outright reprsn as other parts of the world (Bra's anti-sodomy law was not repealed until 1967).

2,500 MARCH GAY PRI PARA TOKYO

While Japan has been paratively laidback about s sexual preferenc, however, has also lacked the polil and social mpaigng that has helped transform the liv of homosexuals elsewhere. Although the march was held public, many participants chose not to attend, fearg they would face rejectn the workplace, or be acced of homophobia.

The one some like to tout that Japan was once very liberal about homosexualy - at least among the upper class - or the one where was reluctant to regnise even existed?

People jt don't turn out gay bee be accepted, gay people exists the same amount all over the world, jt many n't or don't want to tell anyone about bee of how they will be treated. Rints range om outrageoly out-there, alien, and genr-bent to culturally tradnal and polilly nservative (though 's worth notg that the past few years have seen LGBTQ activists elected to ernment offic cludg Kanako Otsuji, the first openly gay member of the Hoe of Reprentativ, and 2019, Taiga Ishikawa to Japan's Hoe of Councillors). To w, some of the most popular genr of manga and anime are gay-themed "yaoi" and "BL" (short for "boylove") romanc, which sell like gangbters among Japane femal and have spired dozens of live-actn movi the same ve.

JAPAN'S GAY PARA RETURNS AFTER 3 YEARS BID FOR ACCEPTANCE

A 10 or 15-mute walk om btlg Shju Statn brgs you to a quieter, more rintial feelg sectn of the cy lled Shju Ni-chome, which is home to at least a hundred LGBTQ bars and clubs, a sna plex, and gay-centric shops brimmg wh clothg, accsori, paraphernalia, and adult goods. Queer men n also get the si sop on Tokyo gay life, and possibly make a iend (or more), via the app 9Monsters: s chat functn nveniently to translat English to Japane and vice versa, and there's a b of Pokemon cutens to the way assigns a kd of creature (or Monster) to the er and the type of guy they seem to like. GaijPot Travel, a webse for English-speakg expats (and would-be expats, also featur a helpful page of Tokyo LGBTQ plac to check out, om f to nightlife, pl Japane gay bar etiquette and other helpful cultural hts.

SUPPORT FOR GAY RIGHTS JAPAN IS GAG MOMENTUM

), and Shju Ni-chome's 24 Kaikan Shju adds a whole lot of gay cisg and actn to the mix, wh eight floors of facili cludg steam room, dark rooms, and private bs (for a premium). Kick thgs off wh the misleadgly named New Sazae, which is actually Tokyo's olst gay bar— opened 1966—and pays plenty of homage to s past wh s r and "funky dis" and soul mic nights.

) - Japan’s gay and lbian muny marched Tokyo on Saturday at the first gay para three years, mpaigng for greater acceptance a socially nservative untry where beg openly gay remas said about 4, 000 people flamboyant stum, wavg rabow flags and dancg on tcks rallied at the 7th Tokyo Pri Para, the biggt gay para held to date Japan which has a tradnal, fay-orientated para returns after a three year absence bee the anizers stggled to fd enough staff for the event wh many gay Japane hidg their sexualy at home and the Japan gays are prohibed om donatg blood and same-sex upl have no rights to civil partnerships.

Some gay Japane men and lbian women will marry someone of the oppose sex to hi their sexualy and avoid Sunagawa, anizer of the rally, said g out a workplace was nearly impossible and Tokyo Pri is a rare opportuny for people to really be themselv. “This year for the first time ever apart om the ual gay webs and bars we also attracted big ternatnal sponsors such as Google, Bank of Ameri Merrill Lynch and Cigroup.