Japan is famous for its political and social conservatism. Family – in the traditional sense – comes first, and even the country's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, aren't all that liberal; they staunchly oppose same-sex marriage. This kind of prejudice means being LGBTQ in Japan can come with its share of difficulties – not always out-and-out homophobia like you get elsewhere in the world, but the feeling for gay and trans people of being othered, what the Japanese call "the nail that sticks out". [...]
Who is it that generally opposes LGBTQ rights in Japan?
Michel: Well, traditionally there's been same-sex love in religious orders and samurai orders, so this has been in Japanese culture a long time. Today, it's a general conservatism that goes against it. It's not like Western cultures of strong Judeo-Christian morality; it's more social. It's the breaking conformity that's the biggest issue.
What are the most urgent things the activists you met are fighting for?
Haruku: Maika Muroi, a member of the steering committee for Tokyo Rainbow Pride, thinks the community's first priority is to set up information networks through the school system and to legalise same-sex marriage. Akta, the non-profit organisation, is doing an education campaign in schools about HIV/AIDS through dramatic and musical performances.
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