Japan Sees Bill To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

The Japan Times reports:

Japan’s leading opposition party submitted to parliament on Monday a bill to legally recognize same-sex marriage in an effort to spur debate on the issue.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s bill proposes amending wording in the country’s Civil Code that has been written on the premise that marriage is a union between partners of different sexes.

Japan is the only Group of Seven country that does not legally recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions, with the government and ruling party remaining cautious about the issue.

RTE reports:



Japan’s 1947 constitution stipulates that “marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes”, although recent polls show a majority of Japanese favour recognising same-sex marriage.

“I think it’s discrimination if marriage is recognised legally for heterosexual couples but not same-sex couples,” said Chinami Nishimura, acting chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party that submitted the bill.