Diet Roundtable | Policy Dialogue for Advancing LGBT Rights and Equality in Japan

In June 2023, Japan passed the Act for the Promotion of Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Diversity, the country’s first piece of legislation to directly address discrimination against LGBTQ people. Following the bill’s passage, JCIE invited Joyce Teng, executive director of the Taiwan Equality Campaign, to Japan to discuss Taiwan’s policies to advance LGBTQ rights and equality and its experience as the pioneer in successfully legalizing same-sex marriage in Asia. Ms. Teng was joined by Shiori Kanno, representative director, of the International Humanitarian Platform and a former member of the House of Representatives from the Constitutional Democratic Part of Japan (CDP), to comment on the current state of LGBTQ support in Japan and the challenges to increasing support. Nine Diet members from the ruling and opposition parties joined to explore issues such as the role of social media in promoting LGBTQ rights, the upcoming presidential election in Taiwan (January 2024), and the importance of supporting minority rights.

PARTICIPANT LIST

Guest Speaker

CHU-YUAN (JOYCE) TENG, Executive Director, Taiwan Equality Campaign

Moderator
KIMITOSHI YABUKI, Attorney at Law, Yabuki Law Offices; Member, Study team, JCIE “Democracy for the Future” Project; Member, JCIE Indo-Pacific Platform for Universal Values (IPPUV)

Expert Participant
SHIORI KANNO, Representative Director, International Humanitarian Platform; Former member, House of Representatives, CDP

Diet Members (alphabetical order)

TOSHIKO ABE, Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

YAMATO AOYAMA, Member, House of Representatives (CDP)

MOTOHISA FURUKAWA, Member, House of Representatives (DPP)

YOSEI IDE, Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

TAKAE ITO, Member, House of Councillors (DPP)

KAREN MAKISHIMA, Member, House of Representatives (LDP); Deputy Director-General, Bipartisan Caucus on Issues Related To LGBT

CHINAMI NISHIMURA, Member, House of Representatives (CDP); Secretary-General, Bipartisan Caucus on Issues Related To LGBT

SHU SAKURAI, Member, House of Representatives (CDP)　

EIICHIRO WASHIO, Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

Observer

TAKATSUGU NIKI, Board member, International Humanitarian Platform Member, JCIE Indo-Pacific Platform for Universal Values (IPPUV)

JCIE

ISAO KANO, President & CEO, JCIE/Japan

HIDEKO KATSUMATA, Executive Director & COO, JCIE/Japan

RYO TAINAKA, Program Officer, JCIE/Japan

SHIGEKO KONDO, Program Officer, JCIE/Japan

STACI CUSTUS, Program Officer, JCIE/USA