Japan, President of the G7, is the only country in the group that does not recognize same-sex unionsand before the bloc summit in May, the government is under pressure to increase legal protection for its LGTBQ population.

But the ruling party it has not even managed to agree on a text prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The issue came up this month after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fired an adviser who stated he “doesn’t even want to see” same-sex married couples.

Kishida called the statement “outrageous” and “incompatible” with the inclusive society the government wants. But Japan has no LGBTQ anti-discrimination law, and while polls show public support for marriage equality and other rights, ministers remain cautious.

“It is a shame that Japan, as chairman of the G7, is in this situation,” Akira Nishiyama of the LGBTQ rights group J-ALL told AFP.

Nishiyama says it is “shameful” that Japan has no legal provisions for the community, despite Kishida signing a commitment last year with the G7 to ensure equal opportunity and protection regardless of sexuality or gender identity.

Parliament is discussing a bill that promotes “understanding” of LGTBQ issues. Initially discussed in 2015, the project sparked interest ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Games, but its approval was blocked by conservative members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Some describe this law of understanding as a “first step for society, but it is a kind of agreement. I don’t want to negotiate about human rights… We need a law that protects them,” Gon Matsunaka, leader of Pride House Tokyo, told AFP.

Association certificates

The government wants to show progress before the G7 summit in May.

Last week Jessica Stern, Washington’s envoy for LGBTQ rights, agreed with the leader of the Komeito Party, the LDP’s partner in the governing coalition, that the law would be passed before the summit.

“It is important that we end suffering and create a society of diverse people can coexist and live in dignity,” Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi said after the meeting.

Society seems to be more developed than the government. A survey by the Kyodo news agency this week found that 64% of those surveyed think Japan should recognize same-sex marriage and 25% reject it.

Other polls have shown similar support, and dozens of major municipalities, including Tokyo, are offering partnership certificates that allow same-sex couples to be treated like a married couple in terms of housing, healthcare and social assistance.

Many large Japanese companies also offer the same family benefits to their LGBTQ and heterosexual employees. Activists have tried to pressure lawmakers in court, arguing that the same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, but the rulings have been mixed.

rising momentum

Japan is no exception in Asia, where only Taiwan has marriage equality.

Kishida has said gay marriage “will change society”so legislators should be “extremely careful when considering the issue.”

Compared to other right-wing members of his party, Kishida’s views are “relatively moderate,” said James Brady, vice president of international consultancy Teneo. The LDP’s diversity efforts are financially motivated and “constrained by traditional values ​​of what Japanese society should be like and what roles people should play,” he said.

According to Hiroyuki Taniguchi, professor of humanitarian law at Aoyama Gakuin University, same-sex marriage will not be on the agenda anytime soon. But the “momentum is growing and it is possible that something will change, such as including same-sex couples in legal frameworks such as pensions,” he told AFP.

Still, Taniguchi warned that momentum could be lost if progress is not made before the G7 summit.

“If there are no changes within this period, social disinterest may return,” he predicted.

“Japan must keep its promises,” he concluded.