Tokyo ward assemblyman under fire over remarks against LGBT rights

78 and still working towards returning Japan to 100 years ago. Got to hand it to the voters.

The only reasons these old fogies are interested in the birth rate is they need more people born into a life of servitude to support their lavish,entitled lives for another generation and to serve as cannon fodder in the event of a war.

Other than that they don’t give two hoots about the people whose lives they are supposed to be working to image better.

These doddering old relics of the 1980s still dominating Japanese politics have to go.

It's time for some new blood.

The 78-year-old assemblyman

This dinosaur should just disappear. He's one of the reasons why Japan has been stuck in the past.

Or he could consider Japan has the highest rates of institutionalised children among developed nations. Along with that they have the lowest rate of CHILDHOOD adoption. (98 percent of adoptions in Japan are males in there 20s and 30s for business purposes). If you've not read about any of this BBC did an article a few years back.

Perhaps looking for a way to improve the life of your constitutes, rather that being a homophobe, would be a good idea as a politician.

Don't worry yourself, cupcake, no-one's forcing anyone to be anything they don't want.

(At least not with LGBT...)

@justasking

As I was scrolling through this story I was thinking ‘man, these dinosaurs just never give up!’

Just leave these poor people alone. They’ve been discriminated against enough. What about all the strait couples who either choose not to have children or simply can’t for whatever reasons? The LGBT community is not to blame for the low birth rate. Japanese society and government are to blame. I’ve never understood the hatred directed at LGBT people around the world. I have openly gay friends and trans friends. Who cares? At the end of the day people are just people.

Strange isn't it, calling it the Liberal Democratic Party when it's neither liberal nor democratic. Not much of a Party either, if Suga is its life and soul!

INVALID CSRF

I just saw the words "Liberal Democratic Party" and "78 years old." Tells me everything I need to know.

The 78-year-old assemblyman

That says it all!

This poster and several others, who sincerely give vocal support for LGBDs, turn out to be somehow insensitive even prejudiced against aged people. Though I never defend the assemblyman at all, bigots exist across generations regardless of age (or other attributes). Please don't rush to characterize or stigmatize certain groups of people by a single factor. Ageism is becoming a big issue and discriminations based on it shouldn't be overlooked.

He is 78 ..His thoughts hardly matter

Would you say that to your grandparents? Just asking. It's nice to be young and know everything, isn't it?

Every person has their own personal choice to make regarding being heterosexual or LGBT

The above is a classic instance of uninformed thought. Homosexuality isn't a choice. One is born that way or not. Too many gays struggle for years, decades with their gayness because until very recently it was socially unacceptable, even physically dangerous to be openly gay. Many gays try to bury it by marrying someone of the opposite sex and having kids even, but in the end it never works. Many gays will tell you if they had a choice to make it would be to be straight due to the extreme social pressures to be straight, but they are not. This idea that somehow one's sexual orientation is a choice is very wrong and has to be put to rest once and for all.

Just because someone pays taxes doesn’t entitle them to special treatment.

What "special treatment" are you referring to? I get a little tired of conservatives accusing minority groups who seek the same rights as the majority of demanding "special treatment". Heteros get married all the time and it is well accepted, even desired. But oh my goodness the moment anyone who isn't straight arrow hetero wants to marry, it's this great horror and their desire to marry is condemned as somehow demanding "special treatment".

This poster and several others, who sincerely give vocal support for LGBDs, turn out to be somehow insensitive even prejudiced against aged people. Though I never defend the assemblyman at all, bigots exist across generations regardless of age (or other attributes). Please don't rush to characterize or stigmatize certain groups of people by a single factor. Ageism is becoming a big issue and discriminations based on it shouldn't be overlooked.

Exactly! By their august standards Yoda had nothing to teach Luke Skywalker. Right? Oh, he's so old, what could he possibly know? As I like to say, age and treachery overcomes youth and strength.

The "special treatment" argument has been debunked a million times. It's old, stale, and nonsensical.

This is what happens when people with no empathy and who never learned to think are placed in positions of power. The education of children, and not just in Japan, has much to answer for.

LGBT movement has been hi jacked by people who think that they and their sexuality is more important than anything else.

That just might be the case because for religious conservatives the sexual orientation of the homosexual is everything to them. No other aspect of their life means anything to them because, gasp, they're homosexual. It isn't that the movement has been hijacked by anyone. Rather it is the narrow minds, and hearts, of religious conservatives who see everything in terms of their sexuality. Once the label is affixed their lives are defined and nothing else they ever do, no matter how great the accomplishment, is of any meaning to them because the achievement was by a homosexual.

Many genuinely gay folk feel no need or desire to talk about their sexuality.

Yes. Up until a point when someone else tells them what to say or think about their sexuality.

Many young vulnerable folk get preyed upon by older messed up folk.

They do, of course. But that's nothing to do with heterosexuals or homosexuals. It's the fault of paedophiles, preying on the innocent.

 we need to tread very carefully around treating same-sex relationships as being 'normal'.

Here's the thing...

Do we think LGBT people didn't exist 200 years ago?

Do we think LGBT people were having loads of kids 200 years ago?

Little has changed in reproductive terms, methinks, since now and then.

What has changed is that in 2020 people are generally more aware of LGBT - that's all. So we can be good to our fellow humans, or we can be moronic!

People didn't heed the advice and carried on after the lockdown as if everything was back to normal. Shaking hands and kissing

Like I said earlier, hire the young while they still know everything .........

They do, of course. But that's nothing to do with heterosexuals or homosexuals. It's the fault of paedophiles, preying on the innocent.

It isn't even pedophiles necessarily. It's parents, relatives, teachers, preachers, the whole lot telling them what their sexuality should be, must be, or else it is (drum roll) eternal damnation. It is those kinds of social pressures that force so many to hide their true sexuality and in turn this does huge psychological damage. They end up not knowing who they are and it leads sometimes to self destructive behaviors as they try to figure it all out.

One of the key issues facing Japan is that of demographics, so I think we need to tread very carefully around treating same-sex relationships as being 'normal'. I agree partially with Mr Shiraishi.

The most offensive and problematic word in his statement is "normal". If there is such a thing, it is not his right to universally define it.

If the government wants to support children, it should support guardians, be they married or single, gay or straight, parents, grandparents, or something else. The main beneficiary at the moment in Japanese society is dependent spouses, who may not even have any kids. Married mothers with a reasonable salary do not get this benefit. They get zero.

Yeah minority groups are starting to rule our lives. So sad.

The 78-year-old assemblyman" says it all...

But isn't it also another prejudice?? Ageism seems to be terrible yet largely overlooked here in Japan.

Time for the old bigots to go!!

@Patricia Yarrow,

These old wrecks thrive on prestige.

They have lived a life of looking down on everyone and they know once they call it a day they,themselves,will become nothing more than all of the retired salarymen who have come before them.........looked down on by their wives and being thought as nothing but pension stealers since they don't contribute anything to society anymore.

Just because someone pays taxes doesn’t entitle them to special treatment.

Desert TortoiseToday  09:33 pm JST

Every person has their own personal choice to make regarding being heterosexual or LGBT

The above is a classic instance of uninformed thought. Homosexuality isn't a choice. One is born that way or not. Too many gays struggle for years, decades with their gayness because until very recently it was socially unacceptable, even physically dangerous to be openly gay. Many gays try to bury it by marrying someone of the opposite sex and having kids even, but in the end it never works. Many gays will tell you if they had a choice to make it would be to be straight due to the extreme social pressures to be straight, but they are not. This idea that somehow one's sexual orientation is a choice is very wrong and has to be put to rest once and for all.

I don’t think so. Many young vulnerable folk get preyed upon by older messed up folk. We end up with people screaming about their sexuality.

Many genuinely gay folk feel no need or desire to talk about their sexuality.

John

I don’t think so. Many young vulnerable folk get preyed upon by older messed up folk.

This is homophobia. No one becomes gay by sitting on a toilet seat, being in a closed room with a gay person, or by listening to gay peopel talk about their relationships. It is anti-science and really quite ignorant to say that being gay is a choice or that one can pass gayness on to another person.

We end up with people screaming about their sexuality.

You mean that these gay people no long hide who they are, and live openly and without shame. They talk about their partners to others without hiding the gender of their partner, and they give their spouse a hug and a peck goodbye at the airport - just like straight people do. I wonder why that would bother you so much?

Many genuinely gay folk feel no need or desire to talk about their sexuality.

What is the difference between "gay" and "genuinely gay"? I'd really like to know.

The derogatory age comments on here need to be sorted out, talk about discrimination, I thought there were laws on discrimination based on age.

The hypocrisy coming out of some groups who seek fair treatment is a flaming joke.

Cant talk bad about gays but its fine to bad mouth elderly W T F ?

Exactly as some one said would you say that to your grand mother or grand father, .........their opinion doesn't matter ?

The younger generations really need some wake up call , and I dont mean a woke up call !

The 78-year-old

He'll being down there soon. I wouldn't worry about his words that much.

This is impossible, but if all Japanese women were lesbian or all Japanese men were gay, then do you think the next generation of people will be born?

Impossible? So why talk about it then, you fool. Why do you think LGBT are called a minority? Does he not know the meaning of minority? Has he never heard of surrogacy or adoption.

Sugita Mio faced criticism for saying in a magazine article that the government should not support same-sex couples because they cannot produce offspring and thus are not "productive."

I hope Sugita also said that with a straight face to her former boss, Abe Shinzo. There's nothing productive that comes out of her cakehole. Her other comments prove that.

With the population explosion, I think people should be having fewer kids, if anything.

".....if all Japanese women were lesbian or all Japanese men were gay, then do you think the next generation of people will be born?" Masateru Shiraishi

Actually I don't care if he's pro LBGT or not. I think everyone has a right to their opinion. But when you make kindergarten rational like this, it brings into question whether you're mentally fit to be in that position.

Rolf Anderson Today  01:05 pm JST

Truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth. 

This may be the case, but doesn’t apply here at all - because this is in no way true.

What this Tokyo ward assemblyman spoke is the truth.

No, it’s not true. It’s 100% wrong. Gay men and lesbian women can and do have their own children.

Some of the LGBTQP community may not want to marry someone of the opposite-sex but this is their personal desire, not a legal inequality. I cannot marry anyone I want, either.

It”s LGBTQIA, as I think you already know.

And yes, you can marry anyone you like, if that person is a consenting adult who also wants to marry you, and as long as they aren’t already married to someone else. You must know this, too.

You also must know that the point of marriage is to marry the person you love. Denying the right to marry the person you love is what’s at issue here...which again, I’m sure you know.

You know, Pretending ignorance is dangerous. When someone pretends ignorance it’s highly likely that people are soon going to think the person pretending actually is as stupid as they’re pretending to be.

It is not his age, but his grievous statements, which he has probably made all his life. Why isn't he retired and fishing or something? Eleven terms!

lol at the rampant homophobia on display here.

This guy is a typical closed-minded conservative.

He’s literally a member of the liberal Democratic Party. lol

Every person has their own personal choice to make regarding being heterosexual or LGBT. It is up to them to face consequences that come in both sides and deal with them the way they see best fit for themselves. Governments nor others should interfere despite how one may feel, we are not judges of anyone's fate or right to live their lives.

The only authority is yourself, all this old man needs to do is OK budgets, that's his authority, he has no place commenting on anything else.

Speaking about LGBT rights or any other topic, why it that guy still in the position? He should be retired at least 13 years ago. No country can go forward if it is ruled by living fossils.

From nine houses on my small peninsula three are occupied by homosequal people. It is not noticable in any way, we are all just people. But it is not the same everywhere, I saw many cases where someone was talking in a fashion like; "your a one of us or you are nothing", and on several occasion I was told; "poor you you are straight" Why am I poor? I brought up children and spent product of my work to raise them, I didn't spend on buying extravagant close to stick out, didn't spend my time to do any stupid thing just to be different or ask for any special attention or respect. I leave the kids to be kids. So why am I poor straight, whatever that means.

Just because someone pays taxes doesn’t entitle them to special treatment.

I think it should entitle law-abiding, consenting adults to equal rights.

I agree with Shiraishi, he’s talking a lot of sense.

LGBT movement has been hi jacked by people who think that they and their sexuality is more important than anything else.

Due to fewer public and media attentions, local assemblies tend to harbor such old school politicians. Outside Tokyo, in more conservative communities, things seem to be lamenting (not always, as I also see something hopeful as well).

Japan as of recent has started it's decent into wokeness.

descent

I wonder is any Japanese have any opinion or if there is any space left for them to post it.

"This is impossible, but if all Japanese women were lesbian or all Japanese men were gay, then do you think the next generation of people will be born?" Masateru Shiraishi asked....

You should've stopped at "impossible" and save yourself and everyone else, time and a cringeworthy moment.

> It is true that if everyone becomes LGBT, there would be no babies and that would be a problem...

.........maybe that could be true, but if he were intelligent, or paid attention in sex ed or in anthropology or whatever is they teach in the schools here..................wait. What am I saying. They teach people how to take the almighty entrance exams. They don't teach them anything about how to function as a normal person in society in schools here. Carry on Mr Dinosaur.

I wonder just how many have read the comments he is quoted as saying. Yes he is too old (just like most of them). I’ve only works if women are willing to take part

Shane Sommerville Today 09:39 am JST

Yeah minority groups are starting to rule our lives. So sad.

I think you mean that minority groups are no longer having their rights being run roughshod by the majority, and the majority has decided that being a bigot is unacceptable.

Seems like reproduction teaching are lacking for several people. To make baby, the sexual preference of the person is of no concern. You need one ovum, one tapdole and one matrice. Make the tapdole merge with the ovum and have put the cell created in the matrice. If you are lucky enough a baby will be created. As the process is quite simple, it was successfully used through time by lot of people some having heterosexual preference some having homosexual preference and so on.

There is no ciconia coming to bring baby after people put "heterosexual" in some boxes or get married to someone from the other sex. And it is not because a ciconia has too much to drink that some unmarried folk heterosexual or not end up with a baby.

Would the entire population of Japan and the entire world suddenly become gay/lesbian, that wouldn't mean the end of times and humans as a species. No, we would think with our nature-given big brains and adapt to these changes and change our society to benefit our current lifestyle so that the species can continue to exist. So even in such a ludicrous scenario, we should be able to adapt and continue to exist.

It's also amusing that this assemblyman thinks everyone is just going to turn gay if gays can marry. In which society has this happened? Does he think everyone is secretly gay? Does the think opposite sex relationships are inferior? So many questions!

He is 78 ..His thoughts hardly matter .

The 78-year-old assemblyman

That says it all!

Famed naturalist Sir David Attenborough in his excellent documentary now showing on Nextflix, "A Life on Our Planet" posits that the falling birth rate in Japan is due to its economic prosperity and suggests that if we start feeding the whole world a decrease in the birth rate will follow.

Many people from that generation (born before 1950) do not seem to understand that folks have a right to love whomever they want.

Assemblyman Shiraishi should resign. Adachi is a blue collar ward and its citizens deserve better than this ignorant, ill-bred fool.

"This is impossible, but if all Japanese women were lesbian or all Japanese men were gay, then do you think the next generation of people will be born?" 

Statistically only 12% of human are gay, and that includes bisexuals.

78 years of waste of life.

R. T. Today 10:18 am JST

Society and culture does. Even if you do not agree with these norms, they will be stronger than your opinion. A few decades ago it was normal to separate between people based on their skin color. This is no longer the case today, so it became not normal. The same goes for women's right to vote, for example.

If this is true, then same sex relationships are perfectly normal because the majority of people don't actually have a problem with with them. This means that according to your own logic, my opinion actually is far more important than yours! Wow, I kind of like this argument, LOL. :)

But that isn't really the point. The point is that a majority has no right to ride roughshod over the rights of a minority. People should all be treated equally and given equal rights under the law. This is the basis of a civilized democratic society.

That's why outdated bigoted laws banning interracial marriage and banning women from voting have been overturned. And in many countries, same-sex couples can get married.

It won't be long before Japan changes its laws as well. It's already begun.

Akula Today 08:56 am JST

One of the key issues facing Japan is that of demographics, so I think we need to tread very carefully around treating same-sex relationships as being 'normal'. I agree partially with Mr Shiraishi.

Who gets to decide what "normal" is? The government? Then get ready to have you entire life policed, because if you hand over the reins of what is and isn't normal and allow yourself to be judged, you'll find that you aren't normal, either.

Maybe don't be too quick to decide for other people what normal is, or how they can best live their lives. Maybe try minding your own business and letting others mind theirs.