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Japan assemblyman, Taiwanese spouse urge Tokyo to OK same-sex marriage

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Japan is destined to become a museum of the past if it cannot look forward.

-9 ( +14 / -23 )

Changes in Japan should be at the will of the Japanese people, not Taiwan, the US or anyone else.

It would seem that the majority of Japan are fine with same sex marriage so maybe the LDP are the problem?

-7 ( +9 / -16 )

The majority of Japanese citizens support same-sex marriages. 64%.

5 ( +16 / -11 )

Well, that's a myth.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

An openly gay assemblyman from Aichi Prefecture and his Taiwanese partner, having just registered their union in Taipei,

There are many things Japanese citizens can do in other countries that are not permitted by law in Japan.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

Takahama city assembly member Masahiro Shibaguchi, 53, of the Japanese Communist Party, and his spouse Ariel Ling-chun Liu, 38…

FACT CHECK: Pants on Fire

Mr. Liu is not Mr. Shibaguchi’s spouse because they are not married. Objective reality informs us that marriage is one man, one woman, one flesh, for one lifetime. Either man can marry someone of their choosing based on the person’s sex, age, familial relationship, and so on. Just like every other person.

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

There are many things Japanese citizens can do in other countries that are not permitted by law in Japan.

When no objective reason can be used to refuse allowing those many things then it can be argued that the one in the wrong is the Japanese government. Being legal do not make something good, nor being illegal automatically makes the actions wrong.

you come to Japan,will go to supermarket and will take bottle of coke than you will be asked to pay say 100jpy but you will urge manager to sell it to you for 50jpy because in your country it costs 50jpy.

That is a flawed analogy, the factors that make desirable for a society to adopt same sex marriage apply universally, the Japanese government have never argued to be a society essentially different from the rest of humanity. That means the urge for the law to adapt to what is already known to be better is justified, even more when the Japanese government have repeatedly declared to work towards gender equality. People are only demanding the government to do what it says is doing.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

As a young gay woman with a live in partner I do not care what the sexual orientation of any one is, nor do I care about what colour or race they are. We are all the same....Humans.... and should be treated with dignity what ever we are.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

EastmanToday 10:45 am JST

you come to Japan,will go to supermarket and will take bottle of coke than you will be asked to pay say 100jpy but you will urge manager to sell it to you for 50jpy because in your country it costs 50jpy.

What a terrible analogy. A bottle of coke doesn't affect people's whole lives. Marriage rights can and often do.

Equality should mean equality for all. Come on, Japan: please move into the 21st century and allow same-sex marriage.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

JeremiahToday 11:10 am JST

Mr. Liu is not Mr. Shibaguchi’s spouse because they are not married.

They are married under Taiwanese law.

Objective reality informs us that marriage is one man, one woman, one flesh, for one lifetime.

By "Objective reality," are you talking about the Bible or something? You can't mean the world we actually live in, as over 30 countries do allow same-sex marriage.

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/gay-marriage-around-the-world/

So, whatever is "informing" you, it's informing you wrongly.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

"This is very unfair as heterosexual couples can get visas as long as they can get by financially, but same-sex couples cannot," Liu told Kyodo News. He pointed out that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and some other parties have been "very unfriendly" toward homosexuals.

Married homosexuals and transgenders can also be legally recognized here in Japan if the couple are of opposite sexes

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who heads the party, remains cautious about legalizing same-sex marriage and has called for further debate, saying doing so "could extensively change society as it concerns the lives of the people."

Yes, it would positively change the lives of gay people who are actually affected by it, not their nosy neighbors

1 ( +4 / -3 )

"Japan remains the only Group of Seven nation that does not recognize same-sex marriage. "

And so it should remain.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Hervé L'EisaToday 06:09 am JST

"Japan remains the only Group of Seven nation that does not recognize same-sex marriage. "

And so it should remain.

Not sure what you get out of Japan being perceived as schizophrenic on every social issue.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

you come to Japan,will go to supermarket and will take bottle of coke than you will be asked to pay say 100jpy but you will urge manager to sell it to you for 50jpy because in your country it costs 50jpy.

Where's that? I'm visiting family in New Zealand now and a bottle of coke is more like 400yen. Japan's so cheap compared to the rest of the world now we're all going to get stuck, unable to afford to leave.

Mr. Liu is not Mr. Shibaguchi’s spouse because they are not married. Objective reality informs us that marriage is one man, one woman, one flesh, for one lifetime. Either man can marry someone of their choosing based on the person’s sex, age, familial relationship, and so on. Just like every other person.

In Taiwan they are spouses, because they are married. And that marriage would be recognised in NZ, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, all of the Nordic countries, Canada, the US and many more I'm missing out in the interest of word length. It's only a matter of time before Japan does recognise it, it's just dragging it's heels as usual.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Objective reality informs us that marriage is one man, one woman, one flesh, for one lifetime.

How do you explain the existence of millions of same-sex marriages world-wide that don't fit this definition?

Your 'objective reality' in actually seems subjective, requiring ignorance of the existence of those very real marriages.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

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