Election pledges on LGBT rights boost legislation hopes

These people will find out the hard way that a pledge in Japan is not the same as a pledge in the western world.

Most people realize that an ‘election pledge’ is tantamount to what normal people call ‘a lie told to get something from the gullible.’ However, hope springs eternal.

I'll believe it when I see it - but while Japan is slow to change, it does get there eventually. The fact that politicians are talking about this openly, and that people are far more aware of the issue, are positive signs.

When I first came here I was told by a good number of people that "there are no LGBTQIA in Japan." Now most Japanese are at the acceptance stage, and many are ready to recognize that we deserve equal rights.

Blah blah blah and even more blah blah blah..... Pledges are not commitments but a nice way to attract more votes.

To all put there who are hoping to get elected - stop promising and start acting then you might get people respect and their interest to vote.

Until then stop playing around with people's basic rights and their hopes for an equal future

Right…..they can’t even put women on equal ground here.

But now we’re supposed to believe they’ll allow the LGBT community to have equal rights? Or whatever big “promises” they are spewing out?

How dumb do they think the public is?

I'm all for gay marriage, but politics is the art of the possible and it is naive to expect instant change for LGBT because Japan is a very conservative country. The first step here is different surnames for a married couple, because it will break the link whereby marriage automatically means having kids. The opposition to different surnames is mostly based on "think of the children". Many actual married people are childless.

The last time the opposition were elected, their manifesto included 26,000 yen a month per child in child benefit and expressway tolls being abolished. Neither happened. They were unlucky enough to be in power at 3/11, and have never come close to winning an election since. I'm sure breaking their election promises will be part of it.

If they won't allow married people the option to keep their own family names, what makes you think recognizing gay marriage nationally is on the front burner?

can't wait any longer ?

why not ?

is it not worth waiting for ?

this is Japan not USA.

Not going to happen, it is just trying to get move votes without having to do anything at all. But it may work backwards here since young people are the most interested in lgbt rights, but also the ones that vote the less.

If I was any of these candidates who are pledging to get votes. I would don a pair of rainbow coloured gloves instead of the usual white ones.

The LGBT population in Japan is only a small percentage of people, so they are not worth focusing on for politicians. It makes more sense for politicians to focus their efforts on policies to pander to the elderly, conservatives, etc. who actually vote.

If I could vote, I can't, I would be more inclined to vote for which ever party WASN'T pandering to minority groups. This shouldn't make the top 50 issues of importance in Japan or anywhere else.

LGBT rights are of course important but it is wrong to get caught up in the idea that a society is homophobic on the basis of its LGBT laws.

If it wasn't clear, my point is that I doubt any country with engrained sexism to the level of Japan has advanced LGBT rights, like gay marriage.

I suspect every country in which LGBT are recognized overcame a good chunk of historical sexism before moving to include sexual minorities. The main focus of the inclusivity battle in Japan must be women, 50% of the population. In terms of specific policies, this means allowing separate surnames and other koseki-based nonsense, tackling the pay gap, taking sexual discrimination in workplaces and educational institutions far more seriously, taking sexual violence much more seriously, a complete overhaul of how rape victims are treated, etc. I would add shifting the focus from pampering (potentially childless) dependent spouses to helping actual caregivers i.e., parents of babies/toddlers and those tending the infirm.