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Marriage Equality Moves Forward In Japan

To put pressure on the administration before Japan holds the G7 conference in May, Japan’s biggest opposition party introduced a measure to parliament to approve same-sex marriage.

Because the ruling coalition has a sizable majority and has found it difficult to even come to terms with legislation banning discrimination against sexual minorities, the bill, which would update the Civil Code of laws, is essentially only a symbolic gesture.

According to South China Morning Post, the only member of the Group of Seven nations, Japan, does not recognize same-sex unions, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has recently come under increased pressure over LGBT rights.

The 1947 constitution of Japan states that “marriage shall only be with the mutual consent of both sexes,” however recent polls show that most Japanese people support legalizing same-sex unions.