Japan’s LGBTQ community suffered a setback on Friday when a Tokyo court ruled the country’s ban on marriage equality is constitutional — an outlier among five other recent rulings that found the ban unconstitutional. Japan remains the only G7 nation without marriage equality. According to the Japanese newspaper Minichi, the judge said lawmakers, not courts, should address same-sex marriage.
The Associated Press reports the judge also said defining marriage as between a man and a woman “seemed appropriate.” Support for marriage equality has grown sharply in Japan, making the ruling especially disappointing for plaintiffs. One of the plaintiffs, Shino Kawachi, told local media the decision was “difficult to comprehend….What is justice? Was the court even watching us? Were they considering the next generation?”
Amnesty International’s Boram Jang urged action, saying Japan must legalize same-sex marriage so couples “can fully enjoy the same marriage rights as their heterosexual counterparts.” The issue is now headed to Japan’s Supreme Court.
