Tokyo same-sex partnership plans highlight road ahead for LGBTQ rights

I astonishingly read some comments on this note that are rather concerning and that makes one wonder how advanced Japan really is (and is not). I'm 29 and gay male. I don't do anybody any harm sleeping with a man and doing any sexual practice with him.

I can't believe those who openly cry foul on homosexuality but openly support organizations, religious or political, that broadly support violence, discrimination and hate.

We are living in a worrying world, where the enemy is the vulnerable, where the enemy is the people who don't do anybody any harm, and the admired are people who are calling for the destruction of democracy and core values of a human being.

I hope that equality can be achieved in Japan for those of us who don't do anybody any harm, just show love for someone (in my case, for a man) of the same sex.

Love defeats hate, that's a truth that shall prevail.

Japan should just legalize same sex marriage. If two people love each other, it doesn’t matter what their gender is. These couples aren’t hurting anyone so who cares? I don’t. If you go back in Japanese history the Japanese were pretty gay, including the samurai.

Hear! Hear! In the world we live in, especially now, why can't people just be happy for someone who found a partner who loves them and wants to hopefully spend the rest of their life with them? Who you love doesn't affect your ability to do your job, pay your bills and taxes etc. I'd say it actually would actually increase productivity and contribution because the person is fulfilled and happy and living their best life.

This should be very easy: The community should be able to legally partner with whomever they like. If it's a legal union then fine. And they can go through divorce like the hetero community. Why are people against simple legal standing? You are partnered with someone for xx amount of years, then allow marriage or common-law domicile. Same for everyone.

What might be needed is no-sex marriage legislation

a same-sex partnership system,

what does that even mean?

“To each, their own” but reads like some people are acting out just for the benefits of ‘partnership agreements’ but not ‘the full saddle’ and responsibilities of ‘marriage’:

*- @TokyoLiving 7:42am & 7:56am: “Koike for PM!! - If you are not willing to lose your individuality, better never marry, it can be the worst mistake of your life.. Better stay single, be yourself, do whatever you like, use your money for your own convenience, have fun with friends, travel the world, have dates with no compromise, be happy, free and adopt a cat.. Life is much better with cats.. Meow !!..” *

I am in for completely equal rights for LGB people, but the "T" in there throws a wrench into everything. Basing gender on "identity" leads to one absurd an indefensible situation after another.

Its sad that the current non-binary movement has created such a backlash against actual transgender people.

Transgender people are people with something known as gender dysphoria, which is a medical condition in which you feel like you are in the wrong body. It is an actual proven condition, since it is common on Intersex people, who are people with an ambiguous biological gender, even if they are unaware of the fact that they are Intersex.

As one of the treatments for Trans people, it depends on the person. Some people just continue their lives without much problem, but for some people these feelings can become overwhelming. Depending on the situation, it has been proven that for some people "transitioning" can help, and the degree in which they do it is completely up to their mental condition.

In fact, traditionally transitioning is a long process that has way more to do with therapy than with taking hormones or having a surgery, which are the most extreme forms of transitioning.

These people are not playing, they are not doing this as a fashion stance, and they are suffering from their condition.

The problem is that there are some people with weird socio political stances that are basically doing political stunts. Sadly, now it has become common, and probably in higher numbers than actual trans people, for some to just transition as almost a fashion statement.

These people tend to be extremely nasty, since many of them have victim complex, and that's the main reason they want to become trans, to become victims, and will go against you for things that real trans people do not really care about, like "their pronouns" and thinks like that.

They have done nothing more than alienate society against trans people, which is why completely dislike them.

And for the "Q" I have not even seen a clear definition.

Traditionally, Q is for Queer for Genderqueer, which was basically transitioning to nether sex, and staying in an ambiguous state. For some trans people, and specially intersex people, that identification has help them to cope, and to be honest, most people that identify as Genderqueer are just normal people, which you wouldn't even know of their identity unless you become close to them.

The problem as with the T, is that the Q has been transformed into this "non-binary" thing, which is the equivalent of the fashion T, and in fact many of those who make it as a fashion statement prefer the "non-binary" label since it basically allows them to just continue for most intents and purposes being their biological sex, while claiming to be victims.

And I know I will be attacked by these people if there are any in here, because one thing they cannot take, unlike real LGBTQ people is criticism.

Japan should just legalize same sex marriage. If two people love each other, it doesn’t matter what their gender is. These couples aren’t hurting anyone so who cares? I don’t. If you go back in Japanese history the Japanese were pretty gay, including the samurai.

Families are the building blocks of society.

You cannot take axe to the root of civilization, marriage and the family, without their being negative consequences.

If same sex couples are allowed to form families legally there will be more building blocks.

And that's not axing the root of civilization, that's making a new way to form the blocks.

Maybe it could be done separate from traditional marriages, a legal union or partnership.

In any case, you're still free to argue that it can be bad for society in the end

Why do they need to force the government to acknowledge their relationships? 

Because it is in the constitution? Marriage is a right, what we ask is just for equal treatment under the law, and the Japanese court system seems to agree that we are not getting that.

 forcing everyone else to accept their alternative lifestyle

Yeah, when 2 gay guys get married, armed people enter your house to force to accept the fact that they are now legally together.

and change our cultures and societies to praise them for it

How dramatic. It's just a legal contract, its a ethnic cleansing, or the institution of a new state religion.

why mix the government into your relationships?

Because it is mixed in relationships already. It is in the constitution. So either the government gets to recognize same sex relationships, or it recognizes no one.

I can say exactly the same point to you. Why involve the government in your heterosexual relationship?

I have no trouble with 2 consenting adults doing whatever they want in the privacy of their relationship. Also if they want to legally commit to one another, great. There should be mechanisms in place for them to do so, just like hetero couples.

Just a/ don't call it marriage and b/ be prepared for people to 'game the system' as a poster above mentioned. 'Marriage' as a romantic institution for a man and woman needs to be decoupled from 'legal partnership' as defined in law, which should be for everyone.

While a same sex marriage legislation will be welcome news to the LGBTQ community in general it might present some problems to transgenders.

For them to be married under such laws they have to acknowledge at least officially that a transgender man is a woman and a transgender woman is a man for them to be married to someone of the same sex.

Otherwise they have to seek union under present marriage laws

There is still a long way until Japan can catch with the rest of the world, and the pace is still terribly slow, but it is better than not doing anything. Hopefully in the near future the changes are made faster and the country can finally enter this century.

"legislation prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people, and removing sterilization as a requirement for gender reassignment surgery is necessary to move forward."

Why the requirement? What does it mean exactly?

Wouldn't anyone who undergoes reassignment surgery be effectively sterilized already?

If you base marriage on that, the situation becomes more problematic.

How do you prove love?

And what about those who aren't in love?

We just asume that 2 people who are willing to sign a legally bounding contract to create a family do it because of some mayor reason.

Why do you care about the sex of those 2 individuals?

We just asume that 2 people who are willing to sign a legally bounding contract to create a family do it because of some mayor reason.

Obviously, so?

Good old Japan Today, there can't be an equal marriage article without a bunch of people against basic human rights.

My opinion of this thing? It is nothing more than a political stunt. These certificates have no real legal value at all, and are just posturing for their progressive voters, specially since the balance of support for marriage equality in Japan has surpassed the 50% popular support.

The actual fight for equal marriage is taking place right now in courts, with already a lower court acknowledging that not giving same sex couples the same protections under the law as different sex couples goes against the constitution, but as usually courts do here, even if they find the government is violating the constitution, they do not order the government to stop doing it, and it fact the result of that court ruling was that "since this is a new discussion, there has not been enough time for the diet to discuss how to implement something that won't violate the constitution", and as such, they will just "allow for the discussion to take place", with the court as always serving no purpose at all.

And of course, after this ruling, the diet has not discussed this topic at all. So they are trying to take this to higher courts, but it will take still a couple of years to get any kind of results out of this.

Why do you care about the sex of those 2 individuals?

Lol what?

Zaphod

I think that is what they are referring to. They just chose "sterilization" as the word sounds more objectionable.

Yes, in that case JT need to remove the word "surgery" from the pertinent statement.

And the lobbyists need to use the proper term ie sex or gender reassignment because deliberately muddling the issue is probably a big reason why it's moving at the current pace

ian

Why the requirement? What does it mean exactly?

Wouldn't anyone who undergoes reassignment surgery be effectively sterilized already?

I think that is what they are referring to. They just chose "sterilization" as the word sounds more objectionable.

Why do they need to force the government to acknowledge their relationships? And why do we keep pretending they want equal rights, when they have the same rights as everyone else? They want special "rights" that involve forcing everyone else to accept their alternative lifestyle, because they can't accept it themselves and just live normally. No one is stopping them from being together, but they need us to say it's okay, and make paperwork for it, and change our cultures and societies to praise them for it. Just live quietly and happily, why mix the government into your relationships?

Tokyo same-sex partnership plans highlight road ahead for LGBTQ rights

I am in for completely equal rights for LGB people, but the "T" in there throws a wrench into everything. Basing gender on "identity" leads to one absurd an indefensible situation after another. And for the "Q" I have not even seen a clear definition.

Japan should just legalize same sex marriage. If two people love each other, it doesn’t matter what their gender is. 

If you base marriage on that, the situation becomes more problematic.

How do you prove love?

And what about those who aren't in love?

Rather than heading out pink papers that are meaningless more investment should be put into mental health clinics to help these people, especially gender dysphoria.

People, you need to get with the program.

The correct acronym is "2SLGBTQQIA+"

Please, do the work before you make a tragic faux pas.

LGBTQ...why does it have to stop at Q???

Lady Koike for Prime Minister !!..