Although it may seem at first glance that the treatment of LGBTQIA+ people in Japan is satisfactory, it isn’t.

In Japan, LGBTQIA+ people still face discrimination at home with their families, at work, in education, and in access to health services. Although individuals can officially change their sex in Japan, they are then not able to get married and they have to undergo sterilization, as well as gender confirmation surgery. Some politicians and government officials even make explicitly homophobic statements in public.

In the face of love, everyone is equal and should be treated equally. Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity is against international human rights law and standards.

LGBTQIA+ people in Japan have waited long enough to be treated as equals. It’s time for the Japanese government to end discrimination.