Tokyo Rainbow Pride Protest Raises Questions About LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace Policies

The pride and Japanese flags
A certain realization led one Tokyo Rainbow Pride participant to protest, and call attention to one company's much-needed policy updates.

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As we’ve recently covered, Japan has been making huge strides when it comes to workplace equality for the LGBT community. Tokyo has now become the fifth of Japan’s administrative regions to recognize same-sex partnerships. Two weeks back, FamilyMart made headlines once again with the release of their new Rainbow Line Socks.  However, as one man’s protest last week at Tokyo Rainbow Pride proves, there is still much work to be done.

The FamilyMart rainbow line socks, an example of current pride branding in Japan.

Protesting LGBTQ+ Discrimination

Tokyo Rainbow Pride (TRP) is Japan’s largest LGBTQ+ event, possibly the country’s analog for New York’s famed annual Pride March. The weekend of April 22-23 attracted LGBTQ+ folks and allies from all walks of life to Yoyogi Park to take part in the celebration. Unfortunately, however, not everyone who participated was able to enjoy the festivities. [1][2]

The Tinder booth at Tokyo Pride this year, an example of the many brands represented. (Photo: Noah Oskow.)

On the second day of the event, a shocking realization led one event-goer, Takanori (pseudonym), to protest rather than party. One of the top sponsors at the event was none other than the same company that had failed to recognize his same-sex partnership only one month earlier.

Tokyo Rainbow Pride’s Platinum Company, Not So LGBT-Friendly?

The company in question is AXA Group Insurance. Takanori has lived with his same-sex partner since 2018. In 2020, the two finally had that partnership recognized using the local Partnership System. However, in March 2022, upon inquiring about AXA’s spouse-only plan when renewing his car insurance, they denied him on account that ‘same-sex partnerships are not eligible for this plan. 

AXA’s website also proudly displays the company’s policies promoting LGBTQ+ equality. A statement from the CEO expresses his enthusiasm to support the community, and lists a number of past and current achievements and initiatives. AXA even updated its logo for TRP to include the rainbow pride flag in the background. [3][4][8]

AXA Pride logo and explanation. (Source: AXA website.)

This wasn’t AXA’s first time participating in Tokyo Rainbow Pride. (It was their sixth). Not only are they regular TRP sponsors, they also have three consecutive Gold Rank wins (as of November 2020) in the Pride Index, practically putting them on the same level as Family Mart (which I explain in more detail here). 

So how did a proud, vocal, ‘LGBT-friendly’ company end up in this mess? Takanori himself expresses his surprise. “I didn’t think I would be refused [by AXA]… More than anything, I felt as if they treated my partner as a stranger, and I was hurt”. [1]

Fix The System!

The AXA Group consists of several branches, including AXA General Insurance, AXA Life Insurance, and AXA Direct Life. And while it is true that same-sex partners are eligible for spouse benefits for life insurance, car insurance seems to be a different story. As of April 23, AXA Car Insurance still maintains that same-sex partners cannot be designated as spouses. However, the company acknowledges that voices within the company have also spoken up. They insist they are working on updating the current system to recognize same-sex partnerships by the end of 2022. [1]

A spokesperson for AXA General Insurance states, “I understand the importance of change in order to allow all people to use our services with peace of mind, regardless of sexuality. We did receive requests to update the system before exhibiting at TRP. However, in order to do so, we’d also need to make update the terms and conditions, which isn’t as easy”. [1]

Tokyo Rainbow Pride Sponsorship Eligibility

Takanori’s protest wasn’t only against AXA. He also expressed disappointment with the Tokyo Rainbow Pride Executive Committee. As such an important presence in Japan’s LGBTQ+ community, Takanori believes it is their responsibility to carefully vet event sponsors before allowing them to present. Which raises another question: what determines a company’s eligibility to participate in TRP?

The TRP Executive Committee does not specify any criteria on its website as to what qualifies as LGBTQ-friendly. When Huffington Post Japan inquired about their stance on protests and their sponsor selection process, they responded via email:

“TRP’s goal is to spread the awareness of the LGBT community and our organization’s activities to support them, as well as to celebrate the diversity of the community. The companies and organizations we display all agree with our goals, and comply with the rules prescribed by our organization”. [1]

But is it sufficient to allow a company to participate simply because they state they are ‘LGBT-friendly’ on their website? Some might say that any support is good support. But to others, like Takanori, actions speak louder than words.

Buying Equality at Tokyo Rainbow Pride?

The TRP official website lists AXA as a Platinum Sponsor. This VIP-like position rewards the company with preferential treatment, such as a prime booth location and a stronger presence. However, a Platinum position doesn’t come cheap. According to TRP’s guidelines for prospective sponsors, it can run up to several thousands of dollars! (Incidentally, the guide only lists general information like pricing, and nothing about eligibility). [5][6][7]

Takanori laments, “It’s contradictory and discriminatory for a company that claims to be LGBTQ-friendly to fail to recognize same-sex partners as spouses. But this protest is also against the TRP Executive Committee. They allow themselves to be bought by sponsors that continue to discriminate against LGBTQ. Meanwhile, other organizations that make stronger efforts to support us never see a profit, and end up at less-visible booths.”

As a solution, Takanori suggests the committee should judge a sponsor’s eligibility based on their contribution to the LGBTQ community (rather than how much money they throw at them).

Tokyo Rainbow Pride’s Response to Protest

On the day of the protest, a TRP employee allegedly asked Takanori to stop ‘threatening the safety of our sponsors and visitors’ as the event was meant to be a ‘festival of peace’. Takanori’s continued protest, however, lead to a committee member contacting the police.

According to a spokesperson of the committee, “We contacted the police in response to a request by another participant. We wanted to maintain the safety of event participants”.  They continued, “We wanted to stop [the protest] because it was causing trouble for our sponsors”. [1]

However, the police showed sympathy for Takanori’s predicament, and concluded that there was nothing wrong with the protest. Kota Ichihashi, standing secretary of the Labour Lawyers Association of Japan, states, “Protesting at the event may interfere with the companies in some cases, but legally, it doesn’t violate any laws. However, because this specific protest was held at TRP, the judgment ultimately depends on the management policies of the TRP Executive Committee”. [1]

For Lasting Changes, Speak Up!

Soshi Matsuoka, director of Japanese LGBTQ+ rights activist organization fair, said, “As long as you say your company claims to be LGBTQ friendly, there will be higher expectations from the related parties. If your policies don’t meet that expectation, it is only natural that you’ll receive criticism”. (In other words, if a company chooses to participate before their policies are up to par, don’t complain or act surprised when people speak up!) [1]

Yanari Kazuaki, representative of OUT JAPAN, states, “One of the main reasons companies join TRP is to show that they are LGBTQ-friendly. By putting themselves out there, they hope to involve employees who may not be currently involved. This will improve the atmosphere of the company”.

In conclusion, Takanori states, “If they had exhibited LGBTQ-friendly initiatives, I wouldn’t have felt disappointed or the need to protest in the first place. However, it’s an LGBTQ festival. I felt they needed to understand the thoughts of the very community they claim to support”. [1]

What to Read Next:

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Sources:

[1] 「LGBTQ差別の企業の出展はおかしい」ゲイ当事者が『アクサ』と実行委に抗議 [東京レインボープライド2022]. Huffington Post JP

[2] Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2022. Tokyo Rainbow Pride

[3] 日本のアクサグループ2社、LGBTQに関する取組み指標 「PRIDE指標」の最高位「ゴールド」を同時に受賞  ~アクサダイレクトは3年連続受賞~. atpress

[4] アクサの目指すところ:LGBTQ+コミュニティと寄り添うために. AXA Holdings Japan

[5] Sponsors. Tokyo Rainbow Pride

[6] Tokyo Rainbow Pride Sponsorship Guide. Tokyo Rainbow Pride (English Version)

[7] Booth. Tokyo Rainbow Pride

[8] PRIDE指標とは. Work With Pride

[9] fairについて. fair

[10] Out Japan. Out Japan

Keywords: tokyo rainbow pride protest 

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