Just days after Prime Minister Kishida minced words on legalizing same-sex marriage, his secretary Arai Masayoshi made things worse. Speaking to reporters off the record, Arai expressed his distaste for sexual minorities, saying, “I don’t want them living next to me either.”
Arai’s comments very much made it on the record. The ensuing backlash led to Kishida summarily sacking him. Arai’s blatant discrimination prompted politicians and activists to decry his comments and reignited discussions on the government’s failure to protect sexual minorities.
Politicians React
Ara’s misconduct is causing some to wonder if Kishida shares in those sentiments. Komeito leader Yamaguchi Natsuo thought it was very telling the comments came from someone at the behest of Kishida:
ใๆฟๅบใฎๆน้ใซๆฒฟใฃใฆใ็ท็่ช่บซใ่ชใใฎในใฟใใใซๅฏพใใฆ่ช่ญใๅ ฑๆใใใใ็ท็ใๅฎ้ธใฎ็ใใใใๅฝไบ่ ใฎๅฃฐใ่ใใจใใใใจใใใใใฃใใใใใฎใงใฏใชใใใ
The prime minister himself ensures his own staff shares an understanding in keeping with government policy. Wouldn’t it be better if the Prime Minister and his office made an effort to listen to the voices of the people affected [1]?
Members of Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are also speaking out. House of Representative member Hosono Goshi was reluctant to address Arai’s comments directly. However, he still distanced himself from them:
ใ็ๅฝไธๆใฎ็บ่จใซใคใใฆใฏใณใกใณใใใชใใใใใใ ใใฏ่จใฃใฆใใใใใ…ใLGBTใซใคใใฆ่ชใใชใใไธไบบใงใใใใLGBTๅฝไบ่ ใฎๅไบบใๆใฃใใใใใใใใใใฐๅฝผใใๅทฎๅฅใๅใใใซ่ช็ฑใซ็ใใใใ็คพไผใไฝใในใใ ใจใใ่ใใซ่ณใใ่ชๅ่ช่บซใจๅใใใใซ่ช็ฑใซใ ใ
I won’t comment on alleged statements, but I will say this โ if you want to talk about LGBT people, makeใjust one friend who identifies as LGBT. That way, you’ll be able to understand why we should create a society where people can live freely without discrimination, as freely as I do [2].
Meanwhile, House of Representative Koizumi Shinjiro mused on the intertwining issues of raising Japan’s declining birth rate and same-sex marriage:
โฆใไปๅใฎ็บ่จใฎๅ ฑ้ใใฟใฆใๆนใใฆๆใใใใจใฏใๆฟๅบใๅใ็ตใ็ฐๆฌกๅ ใฎๅฐๅญๅๅฏพ็ญใซใฏใๅคๆงใชไพกๅค่ฆณใป็ใๆนใๅฆๅฎใใใใใช็บๆณใงใฏ่ฏใๆๅณใงใ็ฐๆฌกๅ ใใฎๆฟ็ญใซใฏ็ตถๅฏพใซใชใใชใใ
Looking at the news reports on these statements, once again I feel that the government’s efforts to tackle the declining birth rate on a different dimension will never come to fruition if their policy is based on denying diverse values and ways of life [3].
Bridging the Gap
Ichinose Ayaka, one of the first celebrities to go public with her same-sex partner and marriage, said discriminatory remarks “should never be tolerated:”
ใใใใไบบใ ใ่ชๅทฑๅๅฎนใงใใใใพใใพใชไป่ ใๅฐ้ใใใใจใงใ่ชฐใซใจใฃใฆใๅนธใใช็คพไผใซใชใฃใฆใปใใใจๆใใ๏ผๅๆงๅฉใ่ชใใฆใ๏ผๅๆงๆ่ ใซใจใฃใฆๅนธใใช้ธๆ่ขใๅขใใใ ใใงใๅๆงๆ่ ใงใชใไบบใซใจใฃใฆใฏไฝใๅคๅใฏใชใใไฝใๆใใฆใใใฎใ ใใใใ
…. ่ชๆฐๅ ๅ ใซใใใพใ ไธ้จใงใฏใใใใLGBTQใฎๅฎๆ ใซ่ฉณใใใ็คพไผใฎไธ่ซใจๅ ๅ ใจใฎใฎใฃใใใๆใใฆใใไบบใใใใๅ ๅ จไฝใงๅญฆใณใ่กๅใใฆใใใใใใ
I want a happy society for everyone, where every person can accept themselves and respect other diverse people. [Recognizing same-sex marriage] will only bring about more happier options for homosexuals. It won’t change anything for non-homosexuals. What’s there to be afraid of?
…. Even within the LDP, there’s still a small faction who understands the actual circumstances of LGBTQ people and recognize there’s a gap between public sentiment and the party. I want everyone in the LDP to learn and take action [4].
But as past incidents show, the bigotry against sexual minorities may be too deeply rooted in the conservative LDP to ever fully exorcise.
Photojournalist Yasuda Natsuki saw firsthand the consequences of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation while on assignment last year in Poland, where over 100 “LGBT-free zones” exist. The parallels she drew between Poland’s anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and Japan’s alarmed her. The incident with the secretary, she believes, is just the tip of the iceberg:
็งๆธๅฎๆด่ฟญใฏใๅนๅผใใใงใฏใใใพใใใใLGBTใฏ็็ฃๆงใใชใใใจ็บ่จใใๆ็ฐๆฐด่่ญฐๅกใใชใ็ทๅๆฟๅๅฎใซไปปๅฝใใใฎใ๏ผใ่ชๆฐๅ ่ญฐๅกใใกใๅๅ ใใใ็ฅ้ๆฟๆฒป้ฃ็ๅฝไผ่ญฐๅกๆ่ซไผใใง้ ใใใๅทฎๅฅ่กจ็พใฎใใๅๅญใซใคใใฆใฏ๏ผใๆง็ตฑไธๆไผใฎๆฏๆดใๅใใไบไธ็พฉ่ก่ญฐๅกใฏใใใๅ ๅ ใฎๅทฎๅฅๅ้กใฏ๏ผใใใฎใใใชๅ้กใใใใตใใซใใใพใพใงใฏใใพใๅใใใจใ็นฐใ่ฟใใใใงใใใใ
ไปๅใฎ็บ่จใฏๆฌๅฝใซใๅไบบใใฎๅ้กใชใฎใงใใใใ๏ผใๅทฎๅฅ็ฆๆญขใใงใฏใชใLGBTใ็่งฃๅข้ฒใๆณๆกใซ็ใพใใใใใใใ้ใใชใใๅๅฃใใฏไฝใงใใใใ๏ผใใใฎๆ นๆฌใซใๅใ่พผใๅฟ ่ฆใใใใฏใใงใใ
The secretary’s dismissal doesn’t end this. Why did they appoint Diet member Sugita Mio as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications despite her stating, ‘LGBT people are unproductive?‘” What about that discriminatory booklet distributed at a Shinto Political League gathering that several LDP members attended? And what about discrimination within the party, starting with Inoue Yoshiyuki, who’s backed by the Unification Church? The cycle will repeat itself so long as these issues remain unresolved.
Is this recent discrimination truly an issue with one person? What’s the basis for stopping at promoting understanding of sexual minorities, but not banning discrimination? It’s imperative we cut to the heart of these issues [5].
With the lack of true marriage equality in the news, the Diet is revisiting the “Act for Promoting Understanding of LGBT” (LGBT็่งฃๅข้ฒๆณ; LGBT rikai zoushin hou) first drafted in 2021. Unsurprisingly, renewed discussions have hit another stalemate, particularly over the bill’s phrasing and how to interpret Article 24 of the Constitution.
Article 24 guarantees marriage equality based on the consent of both sexes; nowhere does it prohibit same-sex marriage. Yet Minister of State for Economic Security Takaichi Sanae called its interpretation a “difficult issue” [6]. In regards to passing any kind of legislation, House of Councilors member Nishida Shoji urged caution, stating that a bill prohibiting discrimination would lead to “inner turmoil” summarily “dividing society” [7].
No More Halfway Measures
Activists say that any legislation needs to ban discrimination outright, not simply pass halfway measures promoting empathy. But Kishida and Arai’s gaffes may work in their favor. With Japan set to host the G7 Summit in May, it would be shocking if same-sex marriage didn’t come up in discussion. Japan remains the only G7 country without LGBTQ+ protections.
The Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation started a Change.org petition that currently has over 50,000 signatures. In the petition, they called on the Kishida government to pass stricter anti-discrimination laws, legalize same-sex marriage, and revise laws pertaining to gender dysphoria:
ใใฎใใใชๆง็ใใคใใชใใฃใฎไบบๆจฉใๅฎใใใใใใๆฟๆจฉไธญๆขใฎไบบ็ฉใ็ฉๆฅต็ใซๅทฎๅฅใๅบใใใใใชๅฝใใ่ญฐ้ทๅฝใจใใฆG7ๅบๅณถใตใใใใ้ใ่ณๆ ผใฏใชใใจๆใใพใใ
A country that would rather actively propagate discrimination against sexual minorities by central figures in the government, instead of defending their rights, isn’t qualified to act as the host country for the G7 Hiroshima Summit [8].
Based on Kishida’s comments, the reluctance to legalize same-sex marriage is over unfounded fears that doing so will spell the end of Japan’s traditional family values. But making sexual minorities the scapegoats for society’s ills is perpetuating discrimination that not just harms, but can even kill. A 2022 poll by NPO ReBit found 48.1% of LGBTQ+ teens had contemplated suicide. 14% actually attempted it [9].
Passing stricter discrimination laws will only improve society. Partnership systems, an uptick in LGBTQ+-friendly businesses, and even picture books reflect Japanese society’s growing acceptance of sexual minorities. Sacking Arai was the right move. But, ultimately, the government needs to do more to regain the public’s trust – and the support of sexual minorities.
Sources
[1] ๅ ฌๆใปๅฑฑๅฃไปฃ่กจใๅฝไบ่ ใฎๅฃฐ่ใใฆใใๅๆงๅฉใใใๅทฎๅฅ็บ่จๅใ. FNN.
[2] ่ชๆฐใป็ดฐ้่ฑชๅฟๆฐใLGBT่ชใใชใๅฝไบ่ ใฎๅไบบๆใฃใใใใใ่ไบ็งๆธๅฎ็บ่จใซ่ชๆฐใใใ็ฐ่ซ. Nikkan Sports.
[3] ๅฐๆณ้ฒๆฌก้ๆฐใๅทฎๅฅ็บ่จ็งๆธๅฎใฎไปถใง็ง่ฆ่ชใใใใใชใใฎๆฏๅญใฎๆง็ๆๅใๅๆงใ ใฃใใใฉใๆใใใ. Sponichi Annex.
[4] ใๅฏๅฎนใชไฟๅฎใงใใฃใฆใใใฟใฌใณใใปไธใ็ฌๆ้ฆใใใ่ชๆฐใธ็ด่จ. Yahoo! Japan News.
[5] ๆด่ฟญใฏใๅนๅผใใใงใฏใชใใใชใๅทฎๅฅใฏ็นฐใ่ฟใใใใฎใ๏ผ. Dialogue for People.
[6] ้ซๅธๆฐใๅๆงๅฉใ้ฃใใๅ้กใใLGBTๆณๆกใๆ ้ๆค่จใใ่ก้ขไบ็ฎๅง. Yahoo! Japan News.
[7] LGBT็่งฃไฟ้ฒใฎใใ่ญฐๅก็ซๆณ ๆฉๆๆ็ซใชใใ ่ชๆฐๅ ๅ ใง่ชฟๆดใธ. NHK.
[8] ๆด่ฟญใ ใใง็ตใใใใชใ๏ผ #ๅฒธ็ฐๆฟๆจฉใซLGBTQใฎไบบๆจฉใๅฎใๆณๆดๅใๆฑใใพใ. Change.org.
[9] 10ไปฃLGBTQใฎ48.1%ใ่ชๆฎบใ่ใใใใจใใใใใใใคใใชใใฃใฎๅฟใฎๅฃฐใๅฎๅฟใใฆ่ฉฑใใ็ธๆใๅ ดๆใใชใใใ่ชฟๆป็ตๆใ. Huffington Post Japan.
