Kishida apologizes to LGBTQ activists over ex-aide's remark

"to achieve a diverse society where everyone respects each other's human rights and dignity and can live a fulfilling life.”

It’s not respect if you deny people the right to marry.

Kishida is full of it.

that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriages

and move to Afghanistan or Saudi?

More lip service and putting up fronts so the spotlight doesn't reveal all their ugliness. Also, "flee Japan"? To where? A good chunk of the population don't even leave the island for holiday; I highly doubt they'd have the cojones to emigrate.

Actions and laws above just words.

Kishida didn't meet with the group until after they gave their press conference at FCCJ, the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Japan. He got shamed and needed to further control the damage before his cherished G7. Any legislation coming out of the LDP will only be window dressing.

Perfect time for mass protests right before the G7 summit make Japan receive pressure from the international community.

Article 13 of which states, “(People’s) right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness shall, to the extent that it does not interfere with the public welfare, be the supreme consideration in legislation and other government affairs.”

If somebody is LGBTQ, well that does not interfere with public welfare. LDP/JGOV needs to meet their responsibility under Article 13.

Japan is the only G-7 member that has not.......

ahhh, the running theme for the entire creation of the "G-7."

If Fumio Kishida is so eager to see Japan "take the necessary steps to ban discrimination against LGBTQ people", to quote U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, he must make efforts, first and foremost, to eliminate the discriminatory treatment of Okinawa by planting so many foreign bases here, more than 70% of all U.S. bases in Japan.

The discrimination against Okinawa is overt, concrete and violative, which could be addressed now and forever only if his administration so decided.

"Yuichi Kamiya, executive director of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, said he expected a move toward equal rights to “drastically accelerate.”"

Yeah... the only thing that "drastically accelerates" in Japan is legislation when it involves military spending, tax hikes, or laws to protect and profit major corporations. Not only will it NOT accelerate, it's already all DOA.

There could be a silent majority that is unlikely to change or tolerate LGBT Legislation.

Kishida said Arai's remark was “deemed unjust discrimination and was extremely inappropriate" and offered an apology to LGBTQ activists in person: "I apologize sincerely for making all of you here and many other people feel uncomfortable.”

Arai confidence in stating his remarks and opinion so openly, so forcefully, indicates his position reaches beyond the of his office duties as a senior bureaucrat reaching into J society as a whole.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apology, i suggest is more an act of mollify the LGBT community.

The lack of willingness of Japanese activists to agitate for change is very concerning to me.

In a healthy democracy when a majority of the population wants something, they get it, or at least they aggressively target politicians who stand in the way. Regarding the lack of action on LGBTQ rights, it's getting downright embarrassing! My anecdotal 10 years of sampling opinion of Japanese in Tokyo shows me that most people support their queer friends but have simply given up hope that the LDP will ever do anything in this decade...

The culture of conciliation in Japan is clearly not proving effective in getting results. It does not bode well for Japanese society's ability to grow and adapt in the future - nor to even maintain status as a democracy when so many people are apathetic to demand results from their leaders.

All citizens should have the same rights and benefits afforded by marriage.

All citizens are allowed to marry under the laws of Japan.

Except there are zilch same-sex marriages. Only citizens above a set age can marry, not all "citizens".

wallaceToday  01:43 pm JST

Except there are zilch same-sex marriages. Only citizens above a set age can marry, not all "citizens".

Wrong again.

If you read, then you will see how all citizens are allowed to marry under the laws of Japan.

There is no such thing as same sex marriage. That's a fact.

That is why there must be same-sex marriages who are also taxpayers. Japan is the only G7 without same-sex marriages.

If you read, then you will see how all citizens are allowed to marry under the laws of Japan.

Not quite. You can't marry your mother.

Your own country has same-sex marriages, the US.

The introduction of same-sex marriages will be decided by Japan and will happen sooner than later.