Latest Ruling Moves Japan Closer To Marriage Equality

The Associated Press reports:

Japan’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a high court ruled Friday, the latest victory for the LGBGQ+ community to add pressure on the reluctant government. Friday’s decision marks the eighth victory out of nine rulings since the first group of plaintiffs filed lawsuits in 2019.

In Friday’s ruling, presiding Judge Takeshi Okada noted that the current civil law provisions barring the marriage of same-sex couples violates their fundamental right to the pursuit of happiness guaranteed under Article 13 of the Japanese Constitution.

The judge said there is no longer any reason to not legally recognize same-sex marriage. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, considered a centrist who has indicated support for same-sex marriage, told a parliamentary session last week he is aware of the sufferings of the same-sex couples and that he will not just “sit back and do nothing.”

Read the full article. Elsewhere in Asia, same-sex marriage is legal in Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan. Thailand’s law takes effect January 1st.

Japan’s ban on recognizing same-sex unions is unconstitutional, a court finds. Here’s what to know ⁦@AP⁩ https://t.co/w6rPIOqZYa https://t.co/w6rPIOqZYa pic.twitter.com/VoVRTTx3Ry

— Mari Yamaguchi｜山口真理 (@mariyamaguchi) December 13, 2024