A ban on same-sex marriages in Japan has been deemed unconstitutional by a court (Yohei Fukai/Kyodo News/AP)A ban on same-sex marriages in Japan has been deemed unconstitutional by a court in the country’s north. The Sapporo District Court said sexuality, like race and gender, is not a matter of individual preference, therefore prohibiting same-sex couples from receiving benefits given to heterosexual couples cannot be justified. Same-sex couples cannot inherit their partner’s houses, property and other assets, or have parental rights to any children. Expand Close The US is one of the countries which has urged Japan to legalise same-sex marriage (Anthony Devlin/PA) / FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsapp The US is one of the countries which has urged Japan to legalise same-sex marriage (Anthony Devlin/PA)More municipalities have enacted “partnership” ordinances so same-sex couples can more easily rent apartments, but they are not legally binding. Japan’s refusal to issue spouse visas to partners of same-sex couples legally married overseas has been a growing problem, forcing them to temporarily live separately.

Source: Irish Independent March 17, 2021 06:10 UTC