LGBTQ people have made considerable progress in social acceptance and understanding in recent years. The recent right-wing backlash spreading across the world threatens to undermine that. Sadly, one report says, we’re already seeing signs in Japan that campaigns against transgender people are negatively impacting public opinion.
Support for using appropriate public toilets declines by 21 points
The report from French marketing firm Ipsos looked at the state of LGBTQ rights worldwide. It surveyed 19,028 people in 26 countries between the ages of 16 and 74, depending on the country.
In general, the report found support for LGBTQ rights dropping worldwide. Support for equal rights for LGBTQ people hit 49% in Ipsos’ 2021 survey. This year, that’s dropped all the way down to 41%.
Japan followed that same trend. In 2021, support for LGBTQ rights and protections stood at 52%. This year, it fell to 37% – a 15-point drop.
Transgender people are suffering the most. Awareness of discrimination towards transgender people is lowest in Japan among the 26 countries surveyed. Only 39% of people believe transgender people are discriminated against, while 33% say transgender people here suffer no discrimination.
In reality, transgender people face an uphill battle in Japan. Japanese law requires sex change surgery before they can legally change genders. This often leaves transgender people and parents in legal limbo.
For the past couple of years, transgender people in Japan have also been the target of a campaign to drive them from using public restrooms that align with their gender identity. Only 31% of survey respondents said transgender people should be allowed to use public toilets aligned with their gender; 44% oppose it. That’s a massive 21-point dip in approval from 2023. Globally, such policies are supported 47% versus 37%.
A majority in Japan also oppose transgender people in sports (18% approve, 37% oppose; 22%-47% globally) and the use of public funds for gender reassignment surgery (30% to 47%; 40% to 46% globally).
On the plus side, 58% of those surveyed in Japan think that transgender people should be protected against discrimination in work, housing, and in public spaces. On the downside, that’s a full 11 points lower than 2023.
LGBTQ couples retain support despite slips
The Ipsos report also found that support for LGBTQ couples overall is slipping in Japan and worldwide. However, on most issues, they still receive majority support.
In Japan, 39% of those surveyed approved of marriage equality, while 26% supported partnership rights outside of marriage. (Japan currently has local partnership systems for same-sex couples that cover over 90% of the country’s citizens.) That’s a total of 65% support, a slide of four points in the past few years. Support for approval of LGBTQ couples raising kids, while still at a majority of 46%, has slid 15 points since 2021.
Worldwide, Gen Z remains fairly liberal with regards to LGBTQ people, with young women supporting LGBTQ rights more than men. For example, 61% of Gen Z women support marriage equality, compared to only 46% of men. 58% of women think well of companies that explicitly support LGBTQ people versus only 34% of men – a 24-point gap.
The one country in Asia that ranked high in support for LGBTQ people? Thailand. The country, which made marriage equality legal in January 2025, evinced majority support on every issue. A whopping 79% of those surveyed, for example, support transgender people using public toilets that align with their gender identity, with only 15% opposed. 84% also believe that transgender people should be protected against discrimination.
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Sources
トランスジェンダーの施設利用はわずか2年で支持21ポイント減、イプソスLGBT＋プライドレポートを公開. Ipsos Japan
トランスジェンダー差別の認識、日本が最低 理解進まず、国際調査. Asahi Shimbun
