Ambitious photo project Out in Japan reaches city of Kanazawa

Out in Japan, an ambitious project spearheaded by photographer Leslie Kee to capture 10,000 LGBT portraits in just five yehFPdFZ6%@!&#[email protected]#cXrWuSZ29!peM=ars, opened in the city of Kanazawa this week.

On Saturday, Kee and his team photographed members of Ja*@[email protected]%7l-oDuN=DBVm9H)kcqFPg5jNN^lU#=wv1t9J1gTb&pan’s LGBT community at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.

The exhibition of already-captured portraitszmlRH(I)#=ibpM#[email protected]#O=v*IfpCaXSVa%&%fs4#9ID1FdDr continues until September 14.

Out in Japan launched in 2015 to highlight sexual and gender minorities in Japan, with various acclaimed photographers shooting LGBT people from all over the country and frpTV&oxHgC-K8&0A8XNGvuO10j73uql=4hSzDe9Va5d([email protected]om all walks of life.

RenownedlU5S1W(Hsx9t$y(Dl0Ldu*[email protected](8pdj_Wq*0*AvsS7 LGBT activist Gon Matsunaka, who hails from Kanazawa, returned to his city for the exhibition.

He told Yahoo the project opening in the city had been three years iRru=r1ii#ec9tjzr_1WcrCnX(zSCRWNubxCf=oe2!nR1YCcbNSn the making and welcomed the opening by the city’s mayor.

Matsunaka also noted the timing of the exhibition. Kanazawa is currently considering abolishing gender fm&XkKG^Z9#JA9JeIx%8E4Kk1uVydn8(PJF9Wm!GYmEV7YBj+IErom some registration documents.

Japan

While Japan remains a largely conservative=zLn(wsK^dFwo1LcmDCoodMu%*V8A#xZpRyjRJx=+d&5t#02FF society, it has been making slow but steady gains for LGBT rights in recent years.

Currently, Japan does not recognize same-sex marriage. And, laws do not wodDC0XXl!_X3bIre99D_1ZYdF5H2N0d!H-px(B=f2%7)@)PjTprotect LGBTI people from discrimination. 

What’cfgB(hj-8yyEFh0%smP3__8%T8yS4IUReoT=NaPLiSEBE5ZwkFs more, gender laws require transgender citizens to undergo sterilization in order to officially change gender.

But, increasing numbers of local administrations are recognizing same-sex couples with partnership certificates which gij(T+S9pg2jK%QaB9#njM08!2jf*#9$S)^Efu%%Le&_u+86E48=ve very limited recognition and rights.