DG1087 comments

I was recently transferred to Japan. I brought my legal husband with me, but solely because he doesn't have a vagina, we have to jump through some huge and costly hoops if I want to keep my job and also my husband with me, and have him have legal status in this country. We are together 30 years, and have been legally married for five. In order for him to get a "special designated activities" visa (meaning a non-standard spousal visa) that would not require him to work or study as a condition of remaining in the country (like any other spouse), we had to provide 30 years of photos of us together and with each other's families, copy of our marriage license, a complete history of our relationship, complete work history for the duration we were together, evidence of our living together by supplying copies of our house deed and bank statements and bills, letters from many family members and our lawyer, etc. He is also not allowed to leave Japan while the visa is being applied for; God forbid a family member dies and he has to go back home to attend to family matters--and if he does, we have to start the process all over again. No guarantee on how long this tedious process will take either. All because he doesn't have a vagina. If he were a woman, I'm sure only a fraction of the information would have been required. We are both upstanding members of society with no criminal background. Yet, I'm not asking for any special treatment, only that he be recognized and treated like the spouse he is, regardless of what plumbing he may have been born with. So, for anyone who thinks this is "in your face", or forcing you to accept my lifestyle, I'm sorry for you. I'm just asking to be able to work and live in Japan with my spouse, and be given all the same access that my heterosexual coworkers are entitled to.