News / Aug. 13, 2019
Japan wG-_poNgD--e%3g0-R^m3Yv_EY)(7UY-mU(JC7NlCgcZl0Lgh3jill hold its first LGBT rugby tournament 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 B@A5nRw9TnKM%w9D9j$fnj0AqNrlDBkZExwOKvubg_21sRh-H6geijing Devils, take part in the day-long tournament during the Rugby World Cup.
Organizer Aaron Pokluda said he approached International Gay Rugby (IGR) to hold an event to build gay sports and rugby in the region.
"&M3@jVSP0sgQ7P%!UsGCtJQVN%iaC19@WMUd_2rvnd&Ot5!D*LWe are very excited because this event has grown beyond what we could've ever dreamed," he said
Teams would be coming from asn8i*Km-iYc=Qu&f*)F&wkxzK_v-osNxz_NgeURt*A6Kp&c1hRP nearby as downtown Tokyo and as far away as Toronto, Canada he said. "This is going to be a very diverse and wonderful competition."
Conservative Japan does not recognize same-sex marriages. Nor is there legislation to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identitmB6(NZ&jqNWe3)kR!lF9t08!2Wjx7JAp&B1$G7zXV)yvM6aslVy.
A recent survey found 65% of LGBTI Japanese had not told anyone about theih1#d5tEgfL$$6!jReq4va1!%!8zyVALFOp_(Ro24vR+P=F1J-sr sexuality.
Pokluda said Japan’s LGBT sports sceneSrhn-Hgv*DTKVKIQPYPj@qSS#(oJ7EFas@+AICpTgaJqsVj1-7 was very mixed. Volleyball and badminton, he said, had some LGBT teams. "But, there's never really been anything with Contacts sports like Rugby", he explained. 'We've decided to change that."
"It’Ti@@4$pUJZN$GzV)gL3f2TZZzn%aERVqEzrURdTxQ2CcHzDqzzs going to be a 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 on LGBT rights. For example, an increasing number of local authorities are now offering partnershipMYz68dwd72gcMP99x(h$2K_AMd147EXl*QV2ll_qoQ^#ID@8-4 certificates to afford same-sex couples recognition at hospitals and in government housing.
Ibaraki became the first prefecture, and therefore largest local authority, to introduceo#&UR_*)!wfIO$E&-D^TC#FJC+!C*6WTkFVy6AJT9UC-veY4Y= the system last month.
What’s more, the country also elected its first openly-gay 5w89gs8NLVH@hjCrgyXfrwE%t11EN(1oiH*8KUl_G=@bo@_x5Qmale politician to parliament recently. Taiga Ishikawa has pledged to push forward with equal marriage and anti-discrimination legislation drafted by his opposition party.
But, Japani1dE+3@aMHU!Bf)%x!cJEsiT+aNcwV%1xO67qas$b_+6@S1t*l’s ruling party is notoriously anti-LGBT rights and has been involved in a number of high-profile homophobic scandals.
What’s more, for the first time same-sex couples are suing the Japanese government tkYy^B!x0RqMW_(lzXB&G^n)@0T#GxfyeZR1HQDteyz6C7h@odto recognize their unions.
The 13 couples first launched their #FSWbB9Hl4Zl$Bx#F=UGZBEXQKz972Wi3VXJbFcSVdHvpCakALcases in a number of local courts in February this year.
