Japan enacts watered-down LGBT understanding law

"There have been crimes committed by impersonators in women's restrooms,

He needs to take look at police officers and teachers first. They seem to be the worst culprits.

When 70% of the population approve, I expect more. Homophobia has no place in a first world country. Baby step but at least a baby step.

How come this current version of the U.S. government isn't pushing same sex marriage in China and the Middle East? Things that make you go hmmmmm......

"some members of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party still broke ranks with party directives, boycotting or walking out of Tuesday's vote in the lower house and the final vote in the upper house"

Very courageous. We need more people like this in the government willing to take a personal stand for what's right.

This law changes very little.

LGBT Rights? Which rights? Same sex marriage? Sure. But any legislation saying that men can become women through the process of "identifying"? No thank you.

"There have been crimes committed by impersonators in women's restrooms,"

Ah yes, the usual transphobic "bathroom problem" dogwhistle. Luckily predators who want to attack women in their bathroom cannot currently do that because ... (checks notes) ... it is illegal for them to enter. Phew.

Japan, the only Group of Seven (G7) nation that does not have legal protection for same-sex unions,

This is a good start, moving away from the use of the word marriage.

"there should be no unfair discrimination", which critics say may tacitly encourage some forms of discrimination.

All of us discriminate every day in many different ways, when we choose our friends or our brand of clothes, in countless decisions in our daily lives. Deciding one thing is better than another is exactly what discrimination is. This is inherent in human nature. The government should not discriminate or favor one group of people over another. However, individuals in their own private capacities should be allowed to make their own choices in their own lives and personal behaviors, based on their own sense of judgment and discretion.

I've been with my Japanese partner for 24 years, living together since 2005. We have no guaranteed rights (banking, health care decisions, taxes, inheritance, etc.) I've left everything to him in my will and taken other steps to try and transfer my assets to him, hoping the authorities won't make a fuss about it.

We got the new Tokyo Domestic Partnership which came out last November, but it really doesn't guarantee anything at all, just a statement of our relationship and lots of "urging" for hospitals and other institutions to follow our wishes.

This new bill is also toothless, but it's at least a step in the right direction, in my opinion. People and societies evolve and some are slower than others to do so. I think Japan will eventually get around to legalizing same-sex marriage, but probably not till I'm long gone (I have a terminal illness, so that might be soon!)

An unpopular opinion is that marriage as an institution is mainly to ensure that generational wealth is passed on to biological heirs. Whether you agree or not or see that as being fair or not, that's pretty much the situation.

Historically marriage has not been about who you love or choose to partner with. In homosexual relationships there aren't any biological heirs related to that bond. So there really is no historical reason or need for gay marriage. It's more about crying that the world is unfair and trying to force new progressive paradigms.

Defending the institution of traditional marriage to foster biological familiar bonds is not about homophobia or preventing people from loving whomever they choose, it's simply society has no need and gains no larger value from same sex marriages.

Being homophobic is wrong and there's nothing wrong with loving who you love.

Second ,class mean under a system,where minority rights are dismissed,and willing live under the mentality of old Japanese fuedal ideas

all the Republic voters know to destroy their American cultures they have go through Trump who is there only President who is braveand fearless

A simple "yes" would have sufficed.

Yes Jeff, that what I been exactly stating to the uneducated on Japanese culture. Most on here think Japan marriage is Victorian construct of love and romance. All people have do is research Japan marriage on google. Easy as, but all you get is their empathy drive opinion base of other new world cultures.

What is "unfair discrimination"? Does that mean that there is "fair discrimination"?

If you have same sex relationship there will be no offspring

Same sex couples can, and do, have children.

Yes in two culture, both have differences, both at the same time, I have a Japanese partner and I have Australian wife, still together in both. The Japanese partner of 10 years and my wife of 40 years. So what your point.

Fair discrimination would be to say that a man and a woman may be legally bonded in a relationship that has capacity to produce offspring and thus be protected in the bequeathing of property to their heirs. However, two people of the same sex may not because there is no capacity to produce offspring. That is fair. It's how it works, too.

Same sex couples cannot produce children together. That's not how it works.

Same sex couples cannot produce children together.

Who said anything about producing them together?

Same-sex couples can adopt children as they do in other countries.

"There have been crimes committed by impersonators in women's restrooms," former upper house president Akiko Santo told reporters...

Which has absolutely nothing to do with LGBTQ+. This guy is a moron.

you know you're talking about adoption

Not only adoption. They can bring children over from a previous relationship. They can have children with a surrogate mother. They can have children with another person outside of their relationship. They can utilise in-vitro fertilisation.

And I am so glad an ass like you will never get exception in Japan.

Exception for what? Oh wait, you think only LGBT people can advocate for LGBT rights? Do I disappoint you if I tell you I'm happily married in Japan?

But hay I have two legal partnership going on

And yet you argue for the "sacred institution" of marriage. Priceless.

An unpopular opinion is that marriage as an institution is mainly to ensure that generational wealth is passed on to biological heirs. Whether you agree or not or see that as being fair or not, that's pretty much the situation. 

Historically marriage has not been about who you love or choose to partner with. In homosexual relationships there aren't any biological heirs related to that bond. So there really is no historical reason or need for gay marriage. It's more about crying that the world is unfair and trying to force new progressive paradigms. 

Defending the institution of traditional marriage to foster biological familiar bonds is not about homophobia or preventing people from loving whomever they choose, it's simply society has no need and gains no larger value from same sex marriages. 

never read anything so moronic in my life. Are you then supposed to have children first then? Because if you can’t procreate, you would have no inheritance to pass down right?

And when do you exactly get married in such circumstance? What if the child suffers an illness and dies, after a couple got married? Would they then be asked to get a divorce?

This topic really brings the loons out.

Discrimination should be tolerated anywhere. Japan are moving slowly, but in the right direction.

Things change. You may not like it but you’ll have to either lump it or ignore it because it’s happening and has always happened.

Using ‘culture’ as an excuse to oppose change is weak.

apologies, *shouldn’t be tolerated. Of course.

I have no problem with the LGB!

If they want to get married I say let them especially if children are involved and make sure both are registered as the parents.

When I was a teen I witnessed many children being removed from the "partner" of the biological parents after a tragic death because the grandparents or social services said they were not the legal parent despite having raised the children with their "partner" (note I use partner because at the time there was no legal recognition of same sex marriage or partnership).

Better 2 parents than a single parent, speaking as a single family one cannot give the attention needed and maintain the level of income to raise a family,

However I do not agree with the idea that just saying you are another sex than the biological facts and the rest of the 10 million genders the silly pronoun stuff and especially biological men getting access to women's spaces and sports.

As for

"There have been crimes committed by impersonators in women's restrooms,

The few actual transgender may not be a problem but as we know true dangerous have used many tactics to attack women and children and under the present western system all these people wishing to cause harm need to do is "declare " themselves transgender and change nothing else.

So a man wanting to watch women change, or worse little girls only has to say " I identify as a woman" and the must be granted access to the women's facilities.

Sadly we have to always look at what the more dangerous of our society will do with changes we make.

The guy dressed as a clown at children's parties, the " hey can you help me find my puppy? The excuse me but can you help me li lock my keys in the car" etc.. all tricks used to attack children and women do you think people like that will not use the " I identify as...." To gain access to victims especially in places like toilets and changing room where no security cameras are!?

An unpopular opinion is that marriage as an institution is mainly to ensure that generational wealth is passed on to biological heirs.

So it's about getting some inheritance tax break or not? Same sex couples can adopt a child and pass on the wealth with a will no? Or does the government gets first dibs regardless? And how does offering heterosexual partners the ability to pass on "generational wealth" exactly benefit society as a whole currently, that shouldn't be afforded to same sex ones?