Tokyo on Tuesday began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples living and working in the Japanese capital, a long-awaited step in a country without equal marriage.
Certifications allow LGBTQ relationships to be viewed as marriage in some public services, such as housing, medicine, and social work.
As of 2015, more than 200 municipalities or local authorities in Japan have issued certificates to same-sex couples to facilitate certain procedures, but this status does not confer the same rights as marriage under the law. Still, the move represents a welcome change for couples like Miki and Katie, who have no official proof of their relationship for a long time.
“My biggest fear was that we would be treated like strangers in an emergency,” Miki told AFP, as the refrigerator in her home is decorated with photos of a 36-year-old Japanese woman from Tokyo and her 31-year-old American friend.
As of the morning of October 28, 137 couples had applied for the certificate, according to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. “The more people use these attachment systems, the more courageous our community will be to talk about their relationships with family and friends,” says Miki, who asked not to be fully identified.
“With this system in Tokyo, I sincerely hope that we can accelerate efforts to create a society where the rights of sexual minorities can be protected and more equal,” activist Soyoka Yamamoto told the media.
Yamamoto and his partner Yoriko, who have lived together for over ten years, received the certification this morning.
Describing the move as a “big step forward”, Yoriko said, “I hope we can now access a variety of facilities and services without having to disclose our relationship.”
In recent years, Japan, led by a conservative party that embraces traditional family values, has made small steps towards accepting sexual diversity.
More and more companies are promoting equal marriage, and LGBTQ characters are making more explicit appearances in TV shows. A 2021 poll by NHK channel showed 57% support for marriage equality versus 37% support.
But there are still obstacles. Last year, a Sapporo court ruled that the absence of legal marriage between people of the same sex violated the constitutional principle of equality, but in June an Osaka court ruled otherwise.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been cautious about the possibility of national recognition of same-sex partnerships.
Noboru Watanabe, a Liberal Democrat (Kishida’s) politician, was set on fire last month after he said gay marriage was “disgusting”.
While welcome, the new Tokyo system has limitations: It does not recognize the right of inheritance and does not allow a couple’s visa for dealings between Japanese and foreigners.
source: Noticias
