Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is facing opposition from conservative members within the party regarding the proposed legislation aimed at promoting understanding of the LGBTQ community. The legislation was hoped to be enacted before the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, but with less than three weeks to go, its prospects are looking bleak.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been under pressure to pass a law to protect Japan’s LGBTQ community, following his former aide’s discriminatory remarks earlier this year. Japan lags behind other G7 members on LGBTQ rights issues, with a poor track record on the matter. According to a survey by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Japan ranked 34th out of 35 countries in terms of LGBTQ inclusion legislation in 2019.
While Kishida leads a dovish faction within the right-leaning LDP, he is not as progressive as opposition lawmakers and does not seem willing to make LGBTQ rights a priority. The LDP’s support base comes from those who value traditional family values, while those who are open and accepting of LGBTQ people lean toward supporting opposition parties. This has made many LDP lawmakers reluctant to devote resources to crafting LGBTQ legislation, as it would potentially benefit their political opponents.
The proposed legislation aims to promote understanding of the LGBTQ community, but it would still leave Japan behind other G7 nations that have already instituted laws prohibiting discrimination against sexual minorities and legalizing same-sex marriage or civil unions. The LDP’s conservative members object to a phrase in the draft bill that stated “discrimination is unacceptable,” on the grounds that the definition of behavior that would be considered discriminatory was vague.
Ahead of the G7 summit, which is scheduled to run for three days from May 19, calls have been growing both at home and abroad for Kishida’s government and the LDP to take necessary steps to improve their understanding of the LGBTQ community. Japan’s lack of legal provisions banning discrimination against LGBTQ people or recognizing same-sex marriage may subject it to ridicule in the eyes of the international community if it fails to pass the LGBTQ legislation before the summit.
In April, the G7 foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the welfare of sexual minorities. However, Japan has fallen behind on human rights, and advocacy groups are urging the government to enact a law to support the LGBTQ community. If the legislation takes effect, Kishida may boast of the achievement at the Hiroshima summit. However, Japan’s slow response to LGBTQ rights issues may result in the country being subject to international criticism.
The pressure is mounting on Kishida’s government and the LDP to take necessary steps to improve their understanding of the LGBTQ community, and pass the proposed legislation before the G7 summit.