Japan’s Olympic-size LGBT let-down on eve of ‘Unity in Diversity’ Games

A bill under which discrimination against LGBT individuals would be deemed unacceptable has been dropped by Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga’s ruling party, officially dying on Wednesday when the current parliamentary session ended.

On top of this, members of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) were reported to have made discriminatory remarks about sexual minorities during the discussion process, sparking protests outside the party’s Tokyo headquarters.

The ruling party’s failure to act strikes a sour note five weeks ahead of the opening ceremony for an Olympics organisers said would be based on the concept of “Unity in Diversity”. Missing this opportunity could see the issue kicked down the road, potentially making Japan less attractive to skilled foreign workers the ageing country needs.

“The Olympic Charter clearly bans discrimination,” said Gon Matsunaka, head of Pride House Tokyo, a group that promotes LGBTQ understanding. “This is a breach of the contract with the International Olympic Committee.”

The Olympic Charter clearly bans discrimination. This is a breach of the contract with the International Olympic Committee.

—  Gon Matsunaka, head of Pride House Tokyo

Japan lags behind its peers in the Group of Seven (G7) countries in several areas of civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer people. The LDP pledged in the 2019 upper house election to swiftly pass a bill promoting “correct understanding” of LGBT issues, but Asahi newspaper and other media say conservative elements in the party have blocked progress.

“Since Japan is such a significant participant in the international business world, it is likely to become increasingly awkward for Japanese companies, as well as the country’s political leadership, if the country remains an outlier when LGBTQ equality has become more and more quotidian in that world,” said Jennifer Pizer, the law and policy director at Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest US civil rights group for LGBT people and those living with HIV.

LGBTQ issues caused controversy at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia in 2014, which took place in the shadow of the country introducing anti-gay legislation. Former US president Barack Obama and some other world leaders stayed away from the opening ceremony after the introduction of the law.

While Japan cannot be compared with Russia, where LGBTQ people are sometimes violently persecuted, “the Sochi example of public attention could serve as a helpful wake-up call for Japan’s leadership”, said Pizer. “The international spotlight will only grow brighter as the start of the games approaches.”

Asked about the fate of the bill on LGBT discrimination, Suga told parliament earlier this month he would work to fulfil promises to the public. He also agreed to a G-7 statement at the weekend pledging to tackle discrimination against LGBTQI+ populations.

The Tokyo 2020 website says diversity and inclusion are essential to a successful games, and inclusion will see people accepted and respected regardless of gender and sexual orientation, among other factors.

Men in their 50s, 60s and 70s tend to be against same-sex marriage, and that is the gender and age of LDP lawmakers.

—  Gon Matsunaka

Nonetheless, the head of the organising committee was forced to step down in February after making disparaging comments about women. Yoshiro Mori, a former prime minister, was replaced as Tokyo 2020 chief by Seiko Hashimoto, a female minister and former Olympic athlete.

Unease over the LGBT law may stem from concern it could lead to recognition of same-sex marriage, Matsunaka said. A survey published by Asahi in March found 65% of respondents said same-sex marriage should be recognised, compared with 41% in a similar survey in 2015. A majority of all age groups supported the change, apart from the over-70s, the newspaper said.

Japan moved a little closer to allowing such unions when a court on the northern island of Hokkaido in March ruled the lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriage violates the constitution. It was the first such judgment in favour of marriage equality, but fell short of making it legal.

“Men in their 50s, 60s and 70s tend to be against same-sex marriage, and that is the gender and age of LDP lawmakers,” said Matsunaka. “Rather than reflecting the whole of Japanese society, the opinions of one group are preventing a change in the law. That shouldn’t be allowed.”

— Bloomberg News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com