An aide to Japanese PM Fumio Kishida who said he would not want to live next door to a same-sex couple has been fired from his job. Masayoshi Arai, an economy and trade official who joined the Prime Minister’s staff as a secretary in October, also told local media that he didn’t even like to […]
Japanese MP Katsuei Hirasawa has been mocked and ridiculed after he suggested Japanese society would collapse if everyone was gay or lesbian. Local TV news reported a speech given by the politician where he questioned why some jurisdictions were bringing in recognition of same-sex relationships while same-sex marriage is banned at a national level. Hirasawa reflected […]
Japanese politician Tom Tanigawa is under fire after suggesting that being gay is “like a hobby” during an online interview. The two-term government MP was sharing his thoughts on why gay people should not be allowed to get married when he made the comment. “It’s not that I don’t approve of diversity and it’s fine if […]
Thousands of protesters have voiced their displeasure about comments made by Japanese parliamentarian Mio Sugita outside the headquarters of the country’s ruling party. Sugita, who is a member of the current Liberal Democratic government published an article recently arguing that state funds should not be spent on LGBT couples because they are “not productive” members […]
Japan will begin funding surgery for some transgender people under new guidelines that have been announced. Transgender people in Japan will soon be able to apply for gender affirming surgery under the country’s social security scheme. People will now be able to get their health cards change to match their preferred name, and in some […]
Hiro – The Man Who Sailed His House | The Blue Room | Until 7th July | ★ ★ ★ ½ Hiro , the Man Who Sailed His House is based on a long form article written by author Michael Paterniti for GQ magazine. When a devastating Tsunami hit Japan in 2011 it carved a wake of destruction through […]
Hypatia | The Blue Room Theatre | Til Oct 7 | ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ “My name is Hypatia, and I’m going to die.” That’s not a spoiler, friends. Those who know their history well may have heard of Hypatia of Alexandria. Scholar, astronomer, mathematician, teacher and leader of the Neoplatonic School in Roman-occupied Alexandria in […]
A court decision that would bring marriage equality to Taiwan is expected to be handed down today. If Taiwan allows same sex couples the right to marry, it will be the first country in Asia to ahieve marriage equality. The case before the courts has been brought by gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei who has […]
Gay rights in Japan are far behind those of many Western countries but a new policy implemented in the nation’s civil service shows some progress. Employees of the National Personnel Authority (NPA) were instructed earlier this year to be aware of their behaviour towards LGBT colleagues. The new policy highlights that discriminatory speech against gay […]
Tomoya Hasoda has become the first trans man elected to public office in Japan, landing a seat of the Iruma City Council. Hasoda follows in the footsteps of Kamikawa Aya, the first trans woman elected in Japan back in 2003. The medical science graduate hopes that at just 25 years of age he can meet […]
