politics

Kishida fires aide over LGBT couple outburst

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41 Comments

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"people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was permitted"

Where they going to go? That would be my question. I doubt any Japanese who have some experience abroad and can speak English would want to flee. So if there are some Japanese who can't speak any foreign languages that think its better to flee the country and live elsewhere where no one speaks Japanese, that would be a huge shocker to me.

7 ( +15 / -8 )

Hakman: hear hear.

For the record, I personally support same-sex marriage. In my view, it's patently absurd that a puritanical bigotry against people who love differently than the Judeo-Christian scriptures dictate should be forbidden to celebrate their union, particularly in a non-christian society such as Japan.

Refusal to change is simply a reflection of the gerontocratic stagnation endemic in the feudalistic LDP.

However, as you say, opposition to my point of view is entirely valid in a free society. We may disagree. Let's disagree. Is that not the entire purpose of a discussion board such as this?

Kishida was, in my view, quite correct to dismiss Arai.

-3 ( +18 / -21 )

Bigotry towards LGBT people becoming more and more unacceptable in Japan.

Same-sex marriage will become law when opposition to it fades to the point where it becomes a political liability.

It’s fading fast.

17 ( +27 / -10 )

Since no right to marry anyone you want exists, the imposition of same-sex marriage would necessarily require a great deal of force to get people to comply as has been demonstrated in G-7 countries (see article) through the use of legal prosecutions and also persecutions.

Marriage has a natural teleology, one man and one woman, and any artificial change to the institution, e.g. SSM, polygamy, etc. is imposed on society against the dictates of the reality of what marriage is and this, again, requires force.

-14 ( +7 / -21 )

Good flee Japan please! Japan has zero need for arseholes like this guy. He doesnt actually do anything productive for the country, so dont let the door hit you in the arse when you leave!

11 ( +19 / -8 )

"His comments are outrageous and completely incompatible with the administration's policies,"

Not even close. Does he think we forgot his remarks from only yesterday?

15 ( +17 / -2 )

"His comments are outrageous and completely incompatible with the administration's policies," Kishida said

Not true, Kishida and the LDP are also opposed to same sex marriage. He just didn't couch his comments in the bureaucratic misdirection the government is so adept at.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

LGBT is a discriminatory term because you exclude other sexual abnormal genders from this group. LGBTQ is also discriminatory term because next week there will be more sexual abnormal genders. The non-discriminatory term for these sexual abnormal genders would be SAG.

-15 ( +8 / -23 )

Here’s a lesson for the Japanese politician oyaji. “If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all!”

0 ( +7 / -7 )

completely incompatible with the administration's policies,

Great news now prove that it is incompatible and allow same sex marriages. unless his view is actually compatible with LDP policies.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Completely unacceptable bigotry invidious, openly prejudice behaviour.

Whatever one views on alternative lifestyles, with such influence Masayoshi Arai can weald in office, to vocally spread such discrimination to media outlets is apallying.

As a so called elite member of J society, a senior bureaucrat, this gaffe toxicity requires the harshest response.

What company would employ any person with such views?

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Also the term marriage in the dictionary is between man and women. So that term can not apply to sexual abnormal genders. So this is confusing the word. marriage should be excluded to the realm of old useless word and replace with a inclusive term for all human when they partner up legal.

-12 ( +7 / -19 )

and warned that people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was permitted.

Does this claim have any basis in fact? Has there been an exodus of people from other countries where same-sex marriages have been recognized? I'm not aware of any such statistic.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Everyone is entitled to dignity and equality, no matter who they are, whom they love, or how they identify. If mixed-race couples were denied the opportunity to marry, and instead offered civil partnership, that would rightly be deemed unacceptable discrimination. The ban on same-sex marriage is equally unacceptable.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I have religious views, a faith that is intolerant, in many respects unyielding.

However one must never through prejudice enforce those views on others.

"not want to live next door, hate even to see them."

Masayoshi Arai couldn't help himself, his intolerance and disgust ment he had to vomit it out publicly he hated to even see them.

Inhabiting such an Influential position within high echelon society, Masayoshi Arai position of his own fruition is untenable.

His open bigotry is toxic within any workspace.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Good on PM Kishida.

What sort of moron and bigot would object to living next to a gay couple? It's none of my business what my neighbors get up to in their bedroom - and I couldn't care less.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Smart Move.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

LGBT is a discriminatory term because you exclude other sexual abnormal genders from this group. LGBTQ is also discriminatory term because next week there will be more sexual abnormal genders.

I was looking at the different bigoted statements and thought "John-san's" were there with his comment on "abnormal" genders hidden in his faux piety about "discrimination".

Also the term marriage in the dictionary is between man and women. So that term can not apply to sexual abnormal genders.

Is!it really? And do you allow a dictionary to write laws for you? And unless you've been asleep all your life, dictionaries are updated regularly with new words and new definitions for existing words. Dictionaries record usage - they are not linguistic prisons for the benefit of reactionary bigots.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

If the only way to 'fix' Government is to fire everyone as soon as they say something dumb that reveals the ideology of the collective, then I would suggest ALL the current politicians must go. We need to tear the whole thing apart and start again. These imbeciles are destroying Japan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Because they are not allowed to marry, same-sex couples can't inherit each other's assets 

i assume what they mean by this is that there is no spouse exemption for same-sex couples where inheritance TAX is concerned, because they cannot be considered as spouses.

Well, actually there is another solution there.

Abolish the inheritance tax and gift tax.

The most enlightened countries in the world have already taken this step.

The inheritance tax is economically destructive and gross interference of government in the private affairs of families of individuals.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Oh Dear, this fellow might suggest separate living zones for those people he finds objectionable. Hopefully not the moral a ghetto or internment camp after what our history has shown us when dealing with this blatant discrimination. Yes, the sanctity of marriage must be upheld between a man and woman! However, given the divorce rate of better than 50% in most developed countries why not isolate those abandoning marriage until they can resolve upholding their sanctity issues. Stop allowing the newly married couples from leaving on foreign honeymoons given the recent increase of so-called "Narita Divorce!" Something has got to be done until we can find more scapegoats after exhausting the current list of undesirables in our greater kind world.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Also the term marriage in the dictionary is between man and women. 

The terms queer and gay originally meant unusual, strange, funny and happy. But over time the meaning of these words changed. So yes. The term can apply to couples of the same sex.

Also, marriage is about law (legal matters) and not what dictionaries say. Laws vary from land to land and laws also change over time.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is unequivocal Masayoshi Arai  behaviour and politically poisonous comments sealed his own fate.

It is truly astonishing a man with such responsibility could act in a manner so publicly unbecoming.

PM Kishida....... .

“My administration has stated its desire to realize a sustainable and inclusive society in which diversity is accepted by all, I have to deal with the affair in a strict manner.”

“I take [what Masayoshi Arai] said very seriously and decided to remove him from his position,”

“His flagrant comments totally conflict with my administration’s policies.”

Masayoshi Arai........

 “Could change perceptions of the family, values and society itself, I would hate it if [such a couple] lived next to me. I would hate to even see [them]. All executive secretaries say the same.”

“If it’s allowed, there will be people who will abandon Japan.”*

Masayoshi Arai must now fully elaborate on this statement "all executive secretaries say the same"....

This is evidence that his form of bigotry is institutionalised.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

There are millions of people who don't believe in any marriages and happily enjoy lifelong relationships. While marriage exists then it should be available to all couples who want to have that.

Right decision to fire him.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

These kinds of bigoted comments are just ... tiresome. It's 2023 - by now people should be over this kind of nonsense.

Good on Kishida, although I do suspect he only fired the guy because he said it out loud.

But progress is progress.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday fired an aide who said he wouldn't want to live next to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples.....

I guarantee that no one wants to live next to that "aide," either.

warned that people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was permitted.

No, MORE people would flee due to low salaries, lack of free time or completely ignorant government "leadership," than they would the other.

"His comments are outrageous and completely incompatible with the administration's policies," Kishida said

Correct. Those comments have nothing to do with raising taxes for no reason or ways to embezzle it.

The incident is an embarrassment for Kishida

Yes. That, and the Abe Funeral, the illogical hiring of his own son and the unnecessary tax payers money funded world tour he has been on recently.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

**Kishida:* "Alright, look. People have been on my case about my world tour, absurd tax hike talks and nepotism, recently. *

Someone, quick! Say something dumb to make me look good! I will have to "fire you," but we will take care of that on the backend. As usual. Look at Suga, he is living the life of luxury right now.

Who's in?"

Arai: I'll do it! I need a new car.

Kishida: "Done and done. Now get out there and say something to get me off the hook..."

Arai: "OK....." (a few moments later)

"I wouldn't want to live next to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples and warned that people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was permitted."

**Kishida:** (thinking too himself..............."ugh, moron.....he went there.......")

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

You know the saddest aspect of all.

Masayoshi Arai is an intelligent driven man, loyal and devoted civil servant, a family man.

Yet what was once a petty prejudice, for whatever personal reasons, he allowed to fester over time to angry raging boil, a character mentality that without any check is all consuming.

This is why a good independent HR policy is paramount. Counselling is not a means to and end but a start.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Where would they flee to? Saudi Arabia? Iran? Good luck with that

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This is out of 1984.

When will a thought alone,

be enough grounds for dismissal?

As it is now, a ‘wrong’ opinion gets you fired, no matter the quality of your actual work...

Equality and tolerance, sometimes...

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Homosexuality has always existed on this planet. Cavemen and Cave women probably had similar issues. We all have are own views, so just live with it.

PS. There used to be a brilliant music bar in Shinjuku san-chome in the early/mid eighties. People from every orientation went and enjoyed the music, lived and let live.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Forum is not for voting.

People who use irrespectful words are intolerant. Yet anyone deserves his right to express and have personal feelings.

I don't like the gay or same-sex marriage propaganda but like the gay friends that are respectful. Being heterosexual is the standard way. Just be respectful to each one's nature.

Politicians to stay in the line of their leader, here Arais-san should have remained neutral for instance. Hence his firing.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

One bad crab claw spoils the lacquer pot.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Arai said he wouldn't want to live next to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples and warned that people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was permitted. He added he did not even want to look at same-sex couples.

"His comments are outrageous and completely incompatible with the administration's policies," Kishida said.

Arai's comments had come after Kishida had said in parliament that same-sex marriage needed careful consideration because of its potential impact on the family structure.

You can’t make this stuff up!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japan has Thought Police now? He simply expressed what 90% of Japan believes.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Arai ! Quick ! Apologise to a same sex couple ! Find a place to live next to them ! Greet them when you meet them ! Invite them to dinner ! And PM Fumio Kinshida will give you back your job! Okay?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Finally CNN will pick up on some Japanese news!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Happy DayToday  02:27 am JST

He simply expressed what 90% of Japan believes.

While he was working. To a journalist. That kind of behaviour is generally a bit frowned upon in the public sector, in case you weren't aware.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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