Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with representatives of LGBTQ groups on Friday and apologized for discriminatory remarks made by his former aide that sparked nationwide outrage and called on the government to ensure equal rights.
Comments by former Kishida aide Masayoshi Arai to reporters earlier this month that he would not want to live next door to LGBTQ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriages were allowed prompted the government to adopt an anti-discrimination law.
Kishida said Arai’s remark was “deemed unfair discrimination and extremely inappropriate” and offered an in-person apology to LGBTQ activists: “I sincerely apologize for making all of you here and many other people uncomfortable.”
Friday also named former Justice Minister Masako Mori as his special assistant in charge of promoting understanding for LGBTQ people and she joined the meeting.
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Kishida quickly fired Arai, his former aide, after he made the remarks. But previous comments by the prime minister himself – including that allowing same-sex marriage would change society and family values and must be carefully considered – were also seen as an indication of his reluctance to promote equal rights. for LGBTQ people despite its commitment to create an inclusive and diverse society.
Activists are now urging the government to enact anti-discrimination legislation before Japan hosts a Group of Seven industrialized countries summit in May in Hiroshima. Japan is the only G-7 member that has not recognized same-sex marriage or enacted an anti-discrimination law for LGBTQ people.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center left, poses with leaders of LGBTQ groups. Kishida apologized to leaders for his former aide’s discriminatory remarks at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on February 17, 2023. (Kyodo news via AP)
While polls show growing public support for same-sex unions, government efforts to advocate for sexual diversity have been slow in Japan, and legal protections for sexual minorities are still lacking. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people often experience discrimination at school, work and at home in Japan, forcing many to hide their sexual identities.
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Campaigns for equal rights for LGBTQ people have been hampered especially by conservatives in Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. An attempt to enact a law on promoting equality awareness ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was reversed by the party.
Amid criticism for discriminatory remarks, Kishida has instructed his ruling party to begin preparing legislation to promote greater understanding of sexual minorities, but ultra-conservatives in the party have already shown resistance. Activists say simply promoting awareness is not enough.
Gon Matsunaka, head of Pride House Tokyo, told reporters after the meeting that Kishida said he hoped to address the issue step by step and that “we have expressed our desire to have more opinions from the (LGBTQ) community absorbed and the our stories heard.”
Yuichi Kamiya, executive director of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, said he expected a movement towards equal rights to “accelerate dramatically”.
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More than 200 local municipalities, including Tokyo, have introduced marriage certificates for same-sex couples, allowing them to rent apartments and sign papers for medical emergencies and for inheritances. But the certificates aren’t legally binding, and same-sex couples are often barred from hospital visits and access to other services available to married couples.
During Friday’s meeting, Kishida sought the views of LGBTQ representatives, saying further efforts are needed “to achieve a diverse society where everyone respects the human rights and dignity of others and can live fulfilling lives.”
