Japan fetes LGBTQ progress, demands moreReuters, TOKYOCheering, flag-waving crowds yesterday gathered in Tokyo for the first full Pride parade in four years, celebrating advances in LGBTQ rights, but also demanding that Japan join other advanced nations in legally recognizing same-sex marriage. It is the only member of the group that does not recognize same-sex marriage. People march during the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade in Tokyo yesterday. Kishida in February fired an aide who sparked outrage by saying people would flee Japan if same-sex marriage was allowed, but the prime minister remains noncommittal about same-sex marriage, even as polls show 70 percent of the public in favor. The situation has long limited the talent pool for global firms, but even traditional Japanese companies find their international competitiveness endangered without diversity, including LGBTQ rights.
