Japan's recently-elected gay lawmaker attends historic pride march

Japan’s recently-electe0Rg&3Zgl_wVqR+lDgDjE9xA#F+8Jtn%gd!!ml=jS#JRFVg521sd gay lawmaker, Taiga Ishikawa, marched with more than 200 supporters of LGBT rights in the city of Marugame on Sunday.

The parade was the first to take2Q78r+Y$MxxD2R2iMh$q1gaUfdTc8)&FGf0S^m#EL=F_7+P$EG place. on the island of Shikoku.

In a tweet, Ishikawa said children in the street werWy!9t7-8Y!1yHizBBC81pb(l4S3D%^([email protected]*[email protected]&Ax=p5c^e waving rainbow flags and that it was a very warm parade.

“We were able to wel[email protected](co(0zYXV4+bC1z([email protected](_Vcome thanks to the people who supported us and the members who raised their voices” said Marugame Rainbow Parade Executive Committee Chairman Izumi Aikawa.

LGBTI rights activist turned lawmaker Taiga Ishikawa and representatives for equal marriage aGhf)[email protected])[email protected]+T(@C(RPkIvxUfFp0kcdvocacy group Marriage for All Japan also attended the march.

Taiga Ishikawa made history last month when Japan elected him as the first openly-gay male politician in the country’s national parliamentzG)[email protected]*253oP8ykJT39#(8pYSED4YART!PwN4TP.

He told local [email protected]^kXh^[email protected])NE7Bs3*umedia the win meant people acknowledged LGBTI people in the society.

Conservative Japan does not allow same-sex marriage. National laws do not protect LGBTI people from discriminat8*5UC)[email protected]^jGg7!EusBJNWxncC36K&jTRu0X)a&Tzion.

Ishikawa won a seat for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) in the Upper House.

He promised to push ahead with bill[email protected][email protected]%[email protected]*+J6kjCK6(SppHztN#y!0s affording marriage equality and protecting LGBTI people from discrimination.

Marriage for All Japan, mHeIVKiLZ(NR+OuK%*[email protected]#1ZO=3J3u_0Al2zFKSHBwYeanwhile, is helping same-sex couples sue the Japanese government to recognize their unions.

Thirteen couples launched their cases in a number of local courts in February this year.