politics

Japanese opposition party submits bill to approve same-sex marriage

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The bill, which would revise the Civil Code of laws, is effectively a symbolic measure because the ruling coalition wields a significant majority and has struggled even to agree on measures outlawing discrimination against sexual minorities.

I would say that the opposition parties have have struggled a hell of a lot more than the LDP. If they would get their guano together they wouldn't need this to be "symbolic"!

-14 ( +2 / -16 )

The acronym use in the above article is now class as bias by the LGB community. LGB are a sexaul biological community and Transpeople and others genders are Gender diverse community. Both group have decided to stand together under the same Rainbow banner until a review and will have a decision prior to the next Pride world day held in Washington state USA. Both groups see no problem with both using the Rainbow banner to support their cause.

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

The timing is right for Japan. 30 years behind the rest of the modern world. Spot in!

-2 ( +17 / -19 )

Kishida called the remarks "outrageous" and "incompatible" with the inclusive society the government is aiming for.

But where 'inclusive' means: accepts different kinds of dinosaur ojisans.

4 ( +16 / -12 )

If there was discrimination against LGBTs, that would be one to be solved socially, not something that could be solved in court. The constitution says marriage is a union agreed between two sexes. This legal provision can be revised so that same-sex marriage is openly permitted. But will social bias and prejudice disappear instantly with the revision of this law? 

I assume marriage has two aspects: social and personal. On the personal side, marriage establishes itself if two people, heterosexual or homosexual, agree to be united. Society, however, expects married couples to bear offspring so that it will sustain its eternity and prosperity, the reason why marriage is a social event celebrated grandly anywhere in the world.

-19 ( +6 / -25 )

LGBTQ

DPJ 1

LDP 0

6 ( +8 / -2 )

The UC is also against Same Sex Marriage, so NO one should be surprised that the LDP is against it.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

voiceofokinawa: I think you must rethink what you stated here. There are many couples that are married and don't have children by choice. Marriage is a legal contract between two people and serves a different purpose for every couple.

17 ( +22 / -5 )

Think the whole LGBTQ brand gets way more attention than necessary, but it’s true gay marriage is pretty much a done deal in most modern counties. The fabric of society didn’t collapse, nor did the sky fall in. Just get it done and move on, let love win the day. It’s a cool message, but when you go in to bat against it like Kishida has done recently you just come across as outdated, mean spirited and backwards. Not to mention giving wind to your political opponents and all that international bad press. Is it really worth it to stop a couple of people from saying, I do?

3 ( +9 / -6 )

(Addendum) Some people may counter by saying that same-sex couples can adopt and foster children. But could this be a fundamental solution to the social and biological aspect of marriage?

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Opposition party is without any political program that may interest voters so how to attract attention and dreamers? same sex marriage debate.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Just reinterpret "both sexes" (両性) to refer to the sexes of the couple: male-female, male-male, female-female. Politicians have recently reinterpreted the constitution to allow Japan to have a military, to this can't be so difficult.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

“The social and biological aspects of marriage”. That is something one expects to hear from a Catholic priest (who’s notionally sworn to celibacy) or some extreme fundamentalist preacher. Just saying ……..

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Society, however, expects married couples to bear offspring so that it will sustain its eternity and prosperity, the reason why marriage is a social event celebrated grandly anywhere in the world.

The is an old fashioned and outdate opinion that has no place in today's world! Same sex couples can certainly raise children. There are plenty of children who would love to be adopted and to be a part of a family.

You should be ashamed to think the way you do! There are plenty of people who get married and dont have children! What are you going to say to them?

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Marriage is is overated and ever end with a good result. It either by death, divorce or separation

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

diobrandoToday  08:22 am JST

Opposition party is without any political program that may interest voters so how to attract attention and dreamers? same sex marriage debate.

So what's the LDP's policy, except for "line our own pockets and preserve the status quo with us on top of the pecking order until our sons inherit our Diet seats?"

At least the CDPJ are actually submitting bills, even if they don't get passed. Whatever policies they do have, that's the way to draw attention to them.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

So I have to say no and that is the LGBTQ people fault

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Larr : yeah? You really think it 90% are against this part of society even after how small percentage of the Japese society. I was thinking 40% for and 60% against. But these 40% are still conservative voter and their voting won’t change because the alternative political choice scares this 40% not gay marriage. That my thinking and I hold nothing against your opinion either.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

i believe that Japan have much more important problems to solve...

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

And that is why they are the opposition party.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Just allow it already. If you dont like it, dont marry someone of the same sex. It's that simple.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Japan's main opposition party has clearly demonstrated that they are not pro-equal rights (due to the fact that the rights and restrictions of state-sanctioned matrimony already apply to all Japanese citizens equally) and not pro-marriage (due to the fact they wish to eviscerate marriage of its content), thus are not pro-family, thus are not pro-children, thus are not compassionate nor loving.

Japan's main opposition party works for all people, not just special interest groups with special political agendas.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

i have expected as from opposition party to provide solution how to help young families with children to pass hard days they have to pass through since LDP crooks doing nothing at all but...

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

I'm not big fun of LBGTQ but I know one thing, 90% of Japanese or more are against it.

?

Japan's main opposition party works for all people, not just special interest groups with special political agendas

Maybe this is just pure political opportunism. They see something which could gain them popularity among the electorate which now sees a majority in favour of same-sex marriage.

Japan's 1947 constitution stipulates that "marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes", although recent polls show a majority of Japanese favor recognizing same-sex marriage

This majority will continue to grow. These numbers will only go one way in the next few years.

Kishida also came under fire last month after one of his secretaries reportedly made discriminatory comments, including that he "doesn't even want to look at" married same-sex couples

Useful bigot. Put the issue in the public eye and had the LDP panicking.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Japan's 1947 constitution stipulates that "marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes"

Both sexes..

A man and a woman..

Chromosomes XY and XX..

As it should be..

Sorry no bonus..

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

XY and XX, seems the way.

No wonder world population will drop soon with the absence of recognition of the family nuclear unit as the natural one. Just being pragmatic.

Let the majority decide anyway.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Jonathan: No way you place depopulation at the feet of the LGB community. There as always been a small percentage in society this percentage does up by a few points when affluent increases . Depopulation can be laid at the feet of feminist/independent women more worry about self support and career then familiy building until they reach were they are non fertile. This is the sole reason why the west has depopulated. Africa has the highest percentage of births because male still dominate every aspect of authority/ power/ position and wealth.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

Both sexes..

A man and a woman.. 

Chromosomes XY and XX.. 

As it should be..

Sorry no bonus..

Can't argue that.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

, although recent polls show a majority of Japanese favor recognizing same-sex marriage.

But not a majority of VOTERS, which is more important. If japan wants to recognize same sex marriage then they better start voting out the LDP. Since this isn't happening then it's meaningless what the majority thinks or wants.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

And i hate how every article on this subject writes:

Japan is the only Group of Seven nation that does not recognize same-sex marriage

But Japan is not an outlier when it comes to the vast majority of countries that hasn't legalized same sex marriage. This cherry picks a fact to somehow cast gay marriage is being common place.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Don't blame depopulation on us gays. We are only 1.7% of the population. Blame it on the 40% of unmarried straights.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Good luck to them

3 ( +4 / -1 )

This is what the opposition party should be doing more often. Make clear opposing stances to LDP policies so the voters can easily see the differences between the two during elections. Keep pushing progression cuz that's what the people want.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Buddhism does not actually legislate on marriage and leaves it as a secular issue, and does not have any prohibitions on gay marriage.

India currently allows a number of cohabitation rights, and marriage is still largely considered a common law issue, and there have been a number of gay marriages recorded throughout the previous several decades.

Generally speaking due to the numerous types of marriage that can be performed under Hindu India, there is very little cultural reason to ban gay marriage as a concept, so the argument is more about secular issues like current family law etc...

3 ( +4 / -1 )

No wonder world population will drop soon with the absence of recognition of the family nuclear unit as the natural one. Just being pragmatic.

I have never read such an ignorant remark in my life. Just because some Japanese politicians put forth a bill, that is long overdue, you decide that the rest of the world's population is suddenly going to decrease?

Family nuclear unit? What another remark born from ignorance no doubt. Taking Japanese statistics alone into account here, nearly 50% of all marriages end in divorce, so how "natural" is that?

I highly doubt you even know what the word "pragmatic" even means! (dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.)

I do believe you should have written: "Just being ignorant" (lacking knowledge or awareness in general; uneducated or unsophisticated.) Which is more inline with your comment.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

No wonder world population will drop soon with the absence of recognition of the family nuclear unit as the natural one. Just being pragmatic.

I agree.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Homophobia. Not all couples can or have children. There have been thousands of years of gay people and the world population continued to grow regardless. Not all people marry.

There is nothing to be afraid of.

There will be a limit to the size of the world population and what the planet can support. We are getting very close to that. Now 8 billion. max 10-11 billion.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Same sex marriage is based on a concept of marriage which has no legal standing in human history. It pretends that people have a right to legally marry someone purely based on choice/love. If that would be true, all countries supporting so called marriage equality should also lift the ban on marrying a close relative , or the ban on more than one partner. But this never happens, because then they would have to recognize that they created a slippery slope and that gay marriage is in fact based on a radical redefinition of marriage, breaking with thousands of years of shared human history.

What caused the current redefinition of marriage is more like what Steven D. Greydanus wrote: "A contraceptive culture is a divorce culture, a cohabitation culture, a pornography culture. Same-sex marriage is inevitable in a contraceptive culture, because a contraceptive culture can have no coherent understanding of what marriage is, or even what sex is."

I consider the unique recognition of the relationship between man and woman as the most beautiful and long lasting tradition in the world. It express the beauty of the complementary difference between man and woman and the importance of being raised by your own mother and father. Marriage is simply the word that is used for this type of relationship. There's no good reason to give the same status of recognition to same sex couples, just like we don't have to for example legalize marriages for polyamourous relationships. And you can always give certain rights related to health care and inheritance in different ways than through marriage.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

But has a very real legal standing in modern human history. 

Nope. The concept on which it is based has no legal standing at all, not even in countries which have legalized same sex marriage, because no country in the world has ever stated in their laws that freedom of choice or freedom to love is the only requirement for getting legally married.

Marriage as a human right was recognized by the United Nations in the 20th century, with every member state recognizing marriage as only between man and woman and with no intention at that time to legalize gay marriage. It's certainly not something from only 1000 years ago and has nothing to do with bigotry at all.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

There are now many countries with same-sex marriage or civil unions. Japan is the only G7 country without it.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

wallaceToday  06:40 am JST

There are now many countries with same-sex marriage or civil unions. Japan is the only G7 country without it.

Ok, those are just basic facts with no relevance to the issue here.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

Except it does have relevance. G7 countries need to adopt an equal rights law. Japan is holding the G7 meeting in May. Japanese LGBTQ calling for an equal rights law to protect sexual minorities.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

It’s a trend all the rainbow lark and transgender stuff. Lots of stuff going on in the world, this should be a small matter that is rarely discussed. It’s bonkers, a distraction from more important events to SOE i etc

Good work not posting with the no space after a comma lark, Steve. All ducks in a row today. Not getting hysterical.

Anyway, I’ve got a bit of sympathy for the idea that this issue takes up quite a bit of bandwidth.

Get this no-brainer of equal marriage done ASAP. There are far more difficult issues to solve.

As you know from Canada, granting marriage equality didn’t cause the sky to fall or the walls to close in.

Everyone should be equal and everyone is under the law

A strange sentence. Phd in stating the obvious?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

"I think it's discrimination if marriage is recognized legally for heterosexual couples but not same-sex couples," said Chinami Nishimura, acting chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party that submitted the bill.

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

The facts in this matter are clear.

In Japan, a legal marriage is permitted only between a man and a woman.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

In Japan, a legal marriage is permitted only between a man and a woman.

which is why a change of law is required to allow same-sex marriage.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

wallaceToday  12:03 pm JST

which is why a change of law is required to allow same-sex marriage.

And there is no such law, which is why there is no legal same-sex marriage in Japan.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The current marriage laws will be amended at some point in the near future to allow for same-sex marriage and fit into the same situation as in the US and other G7 countries.

I married my Japanese spouse in the UK and when we moved to Japan the marriage was immediately recognised. If a same-sex married couple from America moves here, their marriage is not recognised.

Laws change.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

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