Lower House OK’s Bill for LGBT Law

Jiji Press

18:03 JST, June 13, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to create a new law aimed at promoting understanding of LGBT people.

The bill was approved by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the lower house, with support from ruling and opposition parties. It is expected to be enacted as early as Friday after deliberations at the House of Councillors.

Initially, three LGBT bills were submitted by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, the opposition pair of Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People, and the opposition trio of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party.

The LDP has modified the ruling bloc-sponsored bill by fully incorporating the bill submitted by the Nippon Ishin-DPFP pair, slightly changing the wording about gender identity.

On Friday, the lower house’s Cabinet Committee approved the modified bill while voting down the trio-sponsored bill.