News / Aug. 13, 2019
Japan will hold its first LGBT rugby tour$84FOUOaXAJEey1F%Z&YozF1iK6KR&_8tFnGXHc+zi0L=gbC6Xnament in October alongside the Rugby World Cup.
The International Inclusive Challenge in Tokyo will see six teams from across the region, including the Tokyo Crusaders and the Beijing Devils, take part in the day-long tournament during th9$c6o24bj*KQKDa_KUcf6QnucX(Ii$rdR8JHH5MuiHs6tc6&Vce Rugby World Cup.
Organizer Aaron Pokluda said he approached International Gay Rugby (IGR) to hold an event to build gay sports and rugby in the region.
"We are very excited because this ev9@OA5NoO7BH#VCnslCBMKR@9QNop4SV69)HLYh7uZYcqPay@gaent has grown beyond what we could've ever dreamed," he said
Teams would be coming from as nearby as downtown Tokyo and as far away as Toronto, Canada he said. "This is going to be a very diverse and wonderful compTD&R!^sa&sp_Dt^%XoS&luYeOi$=erDT6chCeE9XoTJE@j@$4#etition."
Conservative Japan does not recognize same-sex marriages. Nor is there legislation to protect against discrimination@P(o_$XlIkJujFx!+)owoF)tY503H!i!N%0OmHH*OYL(QMUd+O based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
A recent survey found 65% of LGBTI Japane*%yFPW8X%xWhZlV)=XrHotAa+(n1y4Hp#hC8=n^*I4ZrCf5a#yse had not told anyone about their sexuality.
Pokluda said Japan’s LGBT sports scene was very mixed. Volleyball and badminton, he said, had some LGBT teams. "But, there's never really been anything with C=dxUGmsk4YuQEm*GzpNb-6*Xq&O0yPEy4vtz^)L*Blx6q-mU-Nontacts sports like Rugby", he explained. 'We've decided to change that."
"It’s going to be a$O1sl!RLpiSlkz)As)aGgWqzHsj6y#A-#*crUzB5g7EVvlkzT3 big weekend, not only in Japan but across the globe,” said Ben Owen, IGR Chair. “We now have clubs on every continent which is a magnificent milestone to achieve, showcasing just how inclusive and global the sport of rugby is.”
LGBT rights in Japan
Japan has recently made progress A2CF*3f!OSv1d9B+_-#uN+Amb%wPl0uKNmSXowwK5JfEP%fpE%on LGBT rights. For example, an increasing number of local authorities are now offering partnership certificates to afford same-sex couples recognition at hospitals and in government housing.
Ibaraki became the first prefecture, and therefore largest local authority, to introY^im1QyX@5gV=SnudB_Hm0SGDOzcXi2cAYfRys=mWnat7+A313duce the system last month.
What’s more, the country also elected its first openly-gay male politician to parliament recently. Taiga Ishikawa has pledged to push forward with equal marriage and anti-discrimination l47_Q#t%qkhukP!%5=0=I&RqOg+Kq)q7redI$eKRwyeNgl(vlQKegislation drafted by his opposition party.
But, Japan’s ruling party is notoriously anti-L_@tg+6X7+irLk(CYyxLkb@wNV^vLokvD=8$#hv4Gf1W0yl%YVSGBT rights and has been involved in a number of high-profile homophobic scandals.
What’s more,m&fVtGXE%GGHu%cFvtVTqFkDr$LqWmeC*Ny@Rt7KP_b3bvd$Lf for the first time same-sex couples are suing the Japanese government to recognize their unions.
The 13 couples first launche7Xy83R1Kunu%s=#_LUHsZbGF9!UMBOkMoqG6E*jlOA@FrQHGfkd their cases in a number of local courts in February this year.
