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© Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.LGBTQ activists to hold inaugural Pride 7 summit in Tokyo
By MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
38 Comments
Dango bong
not interested....
Pim
Interested
Eppee
Then don't open/read the article or comment ....
sakurasuki
Even for family straight couple, Japan government show no interest to change the system why LBGTQ think that Japan government will change their conservative system. For LBGTQ community in Japan change will be a long road.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/01/25/national/social-issues/child-custody-system/
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/japan-pm-ban-on-same-sex-marriage-not-discrimination
girl_in_tokyo
Here's to hoping being called out and shamed in front of the world will speed along the process. It's far past time the Japanese government put protections in place for LGBTQIA. The majority of Japanese support this; and historically, once laws have been put on the books the scales tip even further towards a positive view of LGBTQIA. Ignorance is replaced by education, which has the effect of creating a more positive view.
Replace ignorance with education, and you replace bigotry with acceptance.
Moonraker
And that is all that matters in a democracy. The dinosaurs views should be irrelevant.
And yet the systematic gutting of families and society by decades of unreasonable work practises and expectations are barely addressed. Funny that.
The order of importance for policy is: first big business interests; then conservative "values" and finally the will of the people.
wallace
Uganda just passed further laws against LGBTQ people who face life in prison.
Mark
Come on Japan, Step Up and take assume responsibility. Protecting the rights of every CITIZEN is a basic Human Right well established in every civilized nation constitution.
asdfgtr
@Mr. Kipling,
Excellent summation of the divide and conquer strategy!
Christian evangelical right group "Family Research Council" mapped out three non-negotiables in the fight against transgender people:
The first is to “divide and conquer. For all its recent success, the LGBT alliance is actually fragile and the trans activists need the gay rights movement to help legitimize them.” In other words, separate trans activists from the gay rights movement, and their agenda becomes much easier to oppose. As Kilgannon explained, “Trans and gender identity are a tough sell, so focus on gender identity to divide and conquer.” For many, “gender identity on its own is just a bridge too far. If we separate the T from the alphabet soup we’ll have more success.”
Kilgannon identified a wide coalition of potential allies outside the Christian Right who could confront trans friendly measures. Here’s her advice on how to draw them in:
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/10/23/christian-right-tips-fight-transgender-rights-separate-t-lgb
diobrando
G7 in Hiroshima will be held in a bubble and their talks or possible pressure will be on war, economy etc...LGBT is simply not a topic for governments as well as many other issues as kids kidnapped by Japanese parents.
JeffLee
If they really want change, they should hold a strong robust protest causing disruption in Hiroshima during the G7. An event in Tokyo before the summit is pathetic. A big reason that change comes so slowly in Japan is because its activists are so wimpy.
Michael Machida
"Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven advanced industrialized nations that lacks a law protecting the rights of LGBTQ people."
This makes it sound like it's something to be ashamed of.
girl_in_tokyo
BroncoToday 07:29 am JST
It does - the Q includes them, as does the "+" at the end, which is often left off for brevity, but is always implied.
uaintseeme
The alphabet people seem to do more complaining and demonstrations than actually trying to live their lives. Most of us don't even care what they do or how they do it until they start doing stuff to disrupt other peoples lives such as complaining and protesting. They chose to become part of the alphabet community so they should also know and understand the consequences of such choice, just like choosing a job or a house to live in, most people would do due diligence and check out the companies they're considering working for or the neighborhood they're going to be moving into before making any commitment. That's just what responsible people do. That's what mature people do. All of this "We've got our rights" stuff is just annoying now. Every single race and sex has to deal with some sort of discrimination at one time or another. That's life, just deal with it. As for how Japan is going to deal with this; I can imagine how many law-makers are scratching their heads at this one. They know they don't want no part of this movement as it will disrupt their traditions and it's sad that the media and people from other countries are pressuring Japan to become more "open like their countries". What's the point in doing that? I thought what people liked about other countries is how different they are from yours. Now, we want to force everybody to be the same? Ya'll are funny.
John-San
JeffLee: Calling for radical Protest is good advice but not in Japan and Hiroshima with it history and it history since of Pacifism. It will alienate there cause in Japan severely
Chabbawanga
Yet to hear a decent argument for why people of the same sex (who are in a loving relationship) shouldnt be allowed to get married. Any takers?
James
Yes and that is why slavery lasted so long. without people calling it out and protesting for their rights nothing would change..
From what I have been told in most cases it is genetic so not really a choice.
And every single race and sex have made changes through protesting and complaining. So you deal with it.
girl_in_tokyo
uaintseemeToday 10:46 am JST
Well, we would have nothing to complain or to demonstrate about if you would be so very kind and magnanimous enough to let us enjoy the same rights you enjoy, such as being able to marry the person we love and not get fired from jobs because of our sexuality, and not to be discriminated against or degraded by people touting ignorant stereotypes.
I think you do care, or else you would not be so upset when we speak up on our own behalf to gain our rights.
No one chooses to be gay.
And if you think someone can just change their sexuality on a whim, then I invite you to prove that by changing yours - become gay.
So ... you mean there was a point in time where straight men could not marry the person they loved? When straight men were fired from their jobs only for being straight? When straight people were beaten up and murdered for being straight? Wow, when was that, exactly?
Jimizo
Well, you are referencing a story with a talking snake.
I wouldn’t take it as instructive on matters in the real world.
Adam and Steve or Akio and Satoshi is just fine.
Let me know if any chatty reptiles tell you otherwise.
girl_in_tokyo
EastmanToday 01:02 pm JST
Because gay rights are human rights - does that track at all?
Michael Machida
That was fast!
Zizi
Good luck to them.
Harry_Gatto
Really? Says who?
I would suggest that amongst the Japanese there are a small minority who are supportive, a small minority who are very anti and a large majority who are completely indifferent.
The rest of your comment has some merit, you may indeed be right.
John-San
Harry: That why I love Japan , very little activism compared to other western societies. apparently if you against activism your tag with disliking homosexuality or gender diversity. Which I am not, It a free country, people can do like they want as long it not against the law. That call democracy.
John-San
James: If it is genetic why is the % higher in affluent society compare to others societies ? Like India and , Africa, more than 2/3 of the world population. Why is not higher in these societies if it is genetics ? The softer a society gets the high the population is. So I assume it got to do with the condition of societies. I not an expert in demographics but numbers don't lie.
JeffLee
@John-san
Why "not in Japan"? Japan has a rich history of violent protests. The Early post-war years saw lots and lots of fiery protests that shut down universities, the rail system, pelting the cops with all manner of debris. Many of the protesters were pacifists, and they all contributed much to forming ideas on personal freedom and human rights among today's Japanese.
But things have changed. Japanese society has more recently stagnated in tandem with people's fear, complacency, and obedience to authority.
So, bring it on in Hiroshima!
Jimizo
People lie, or at least don’t reveal all.
In societies which are more intolerant on this issue, I imagine people are more reticent to admit their sexuality.
Even in more tolerant societies, you often find the ones who are intolerant of this have something to hide. Religious types railing against gays but later found in hotel rooms with male prostitutes and hard drugs etc
John-San
Roy: homophobia is fear of, I met many gays, worker with gay, Have taken gay along with me to onsen as long as they don't bring their partners. does that sound like a person who dislike homosexuality or gender diversity. Mate you're upset because you mis interrupt my comments. I am a anti activist. But If there is a protest I go to fight and to have a go at the police ,it very common where I am from. I am not Not there to support their cause. I am not going to miss the opportunity to punch a few cops. I am a Aussie from a long line of convicts who dislike police. It genetics.
girl_in_tokyo
John-SanToday 02:33 pm JST
Let me check this. You are wondering why the percentage of people who self-identify as LGBTQIA is lower in places like India and Africa, where LGBTQIA are actively discrimnated against, beaten, abused, murdered; or even treated as criminals, arrested, convicted, tortured, and put to death (Russia, Uganda, Nigeria, etc)
Oh, I don't know, maybe ... just hear me out ... maybe the reason is not because there are fewer GLBTQIA, but because LGBTIQIA are terrified and are forced into hiding.
Ya know, just an idea.
BeerDeliveryGuy
Homophobia and acceptance is a strange paradigm in Japan.
On the one side you have the popular gay and trans celebrities like Akihiro Miwa (who was awarded an imperial citizen’s award) , Matsuko Deluxe, Ryuchelle, etc…
But you’ll be hard pressed to find a mom and pop who would accept that their Taro likes a Eiji not Eiko.
Normal everyday gays are less accepted because they don’t fit the flamboyant prancing stereotype that the media feeds them.
falseflagsteve
Let them, do parades as much as they like but only in public if not sexualised as children may be present.
BeerDeliveryGuy
As for the politicians who say “gays are unproductive because they do not produce children” BS…
If I was mayor or governor, would rather a have a double income, tax paying, high consuming gay couple than a single mother with three kids on child support and unemployment handouts in my city/prefecture.
black rainbow
as a gay black man, I say enough of this. Pride has changed from acceptance to promotion and is not doing the gay community any favors.
Eventually it will have the opposite effect it hopes to achieve.