Ban on same-sex marriage not discrimination: Japan PM Fumio Kishida

Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the countrys ban on samesex marriage is not discriminatory insisting that constitutional freedom of marriage only envisions heterosexual unions a comment that triggered criticism he is backtracking despite his recent apology and meeting with LGBTQ peopleKishidas governing Liberal Democratic Party known for its conservative family values and reluctance to promote gender equality and sexual diversity is virtually the main opposition to legalisation of samesex marriage and other measures of equality for LGBTQ peopleAsked by an opposition lawmaker at Tuesdays parliamentary budget committee if he thinks a samesex marriage ban constitutes discrimination Kishida said I dont think disallowing samesex couples to marry is unjust discrimination by the stateHis comment sparked criticism from opposition lawmakers and LGBTQ activists who questioned whether Kishida was backpedalling to show consideration to ultraconservatives in his party who oppose sexual diversityKishida said after meeting with LGBTQ representatives in midFebruary that he strongly felt the need for discussion and would consider the voices of the people and in parliament as well as rulings in several ongoing lawsuits and measures in local municipalitiesKishida on Wednesday repeated his position that a samesex marriage ban is not unconstitutional and denied that he is prejudiced I believe I do not have a sense of discrimination on the issue he said And I have never stated Im against itFormer Kishida aide Masayoshi Arais discriminatory remarks last month about LGBTQ people ignited nationwide outrage and prompted a renewed push for the Kishida government to enact an antidiscrimination law even after the official was sackedAlso Read North Korea calls UN chiefs remarks on missile test unfairArai told reporters in early February that he wouldnt want to live next to LGBTQ people and that citizens would flee Japan if samesex marriages were allowedToru Miyamoto a Japanese Communist Party lawmaker asked Kishida on Wednesday about his meeting with LGBTQ representatives and whether he really meant his apologyMiyamoto also noted recent media surveys and local government initiatives introducing nonbinding samesex partnerships and told Kishida that support for samesex marriage now represents the majority of public opinionSince the controversy erupted Kishida appointed a special aide for LGBTQ issues and instructed his party to prepare legislation to promote understanding for LGBTQ rightsActivists are now urging the government to enact antidiscrimination legislation before Japan hosts a summit of the Group of Seven industrialised nations in May in Hiroshima Japan is the only G7 member that has not recognized samesex marriage or enacted an antidiscrimination law for LGBTQ peopleBut his own previous comments including that allowing samesex marriage would change society and family values and must be carefully considered were also seen as an indication of his reluctance to promote equal rights for LGBTQ people despite his pledge to create an inclusive and diverse societyCampaigns for equal rights for LGBTQ people have been stonewalled especially by conservatives in Kishidas governing Liberal Democratic Party An attempt to enact an equality awareness promotion law ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was quashed by the partyWhile surveys show growing public support for samesex unions government efforts to support sexual diversity have been slow in Japan and legal protections are still lacking for LGBTQ people Lesbian gay bisexual and transgender people often face discrimination at school work and home in Japan causing many to hide their sexual identitiesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever