Japan Set to Pass LGBT Understanding Bill on June 16
Despite the controversy surrounding a new bill, Japan’s parliament will vote on a bill to promote a better understanding of the LGBT community on Friday, June 16, according to The Japan Times. The ruling and opposition parties have been at odds over the definition of certain words that would affect the practicality of the legislation.
Japan lags behind the other Group of Seven countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States – in terms of legal protections for sexual minorities, lacking laws prohibiting discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community, or legalizing same-sex marriage or civil unions.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who heads the Liberal Democratic Party, and Japan’s government have received mounting pressure at home and abroad to pass the legislation which has received opposition from the conservative members of the party who uphold traditional family values, such as the role of women in giving birth and raising children.
A revised version of the bill was submitted to parliament before the G-7 summit on May 17, 2023, but the ruling bloc has struggled to finalize discussions with opposing parties on the definition of gender identity.
On Wednesday (June 7th), Komeito chief Natsuo Yamaguchi, a proponent of the legislation, called on the ruling and opposition parties to make efforts to support sexual minorities, who would “suffer the most” without a legal framework.
