Back in April this year, Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward hosted the city’s 25th LGBT pride march, known as the Tokyo Rainbow Pride March Parade. The theme of this year’s parade was “be proud of who you are.” Same-sex couples are not allowed to get legally married in Japan, but there are offices in Shibuya Ward that issue certificates of marriage to such couples, though they are not legally binding. Over the years, attendance to the parade has increased greatly, yet there is still incredible social stigma surrounding coming out as gay or bisexual in Japan, specifically in the workplace, as noted by several parade-goers.
In a world where same-sex marriage is illegal in every Asian country (although Taiwan may be the first to legalize same-sex unions later this month), any display of LGBT pride and allyship is significant in progressing public opinion. However, although public demonstrations like the Tokyo Rainbow Pride March parade are signs of progress in a socially conservative nation like Japan, there are still many barriers to LGBT-identifying members of the community feeling safe and comfortable enough to come out. In the article, a 42-year old man who identified as gay explained that it was easier to stay quiet rather than come out, as he would presumably have to face jokes and ridicule from his colleagues. The deeply ingrained attitude of homophobia that many Japanese people still possess causes many LGBT-identifying citizens like the man in the interview to fear the consequences of being honest about their identity to others, and undoubtedly results in severe psychological and emotional stress. Currently, there are public figures that have attempted to sway public opinion towards being more accepting of same-sex couples. For example, Tomomi Inada, former defense minister, is a conservative lawmaker who has tried to not legalize same-sex marriage, but rather simply “promote understanding” of LGBT issues. However, even this has been met by political opposition, specifically by members of the LDP, and anti-LGBT rhetoric largely consists of claims that same-sex couples will further harm the birth rate and destroy the institution of the family. After being accused of having moved to the left for her advocacy regarding LGBT issues, Tomomi argued that it is “a human rights issue and has nothing to do with being conservative or liberal.”
This story highlights the current reality that there are still many countries in the world, especially in Asia, where LGBT-identifying citizens are not only still denied the basic right to marry, but subject to institutional and social prejudice and discrimination. If we are to create a more equal global society, superpower countries with political sway must set the example for other countries to follow. Only time can tell if Japan will be one of the countries to pave the path to a more equal social order in Asia.
Source Article: “With spirits high, the LGBT community and supporters mark Tokyo’s 25th pride march”
Supplementary Articles:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/11/23/taiwan-was-supposed-be-first-asian-country-legalize-gay-marriage-then-things-got-complicated/, https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/21/national/politics-diplomacy/uphill-battle-ldp-lawmaker-fights-lgbt-rights-japan/
No comments:
Post a Comment