As some of you may know, I spent a good part of my childhood in Japan. And though they are not lacking in a rich underground LGBTQ subculture, the overall culture of shame in Japan largely keeps LGBTQ issues from being discussed at a national level. That's why I was so excited to see
this article about the first same-sex couple that Japan has officially recognized as foster parents:
The couple had submitted their request to be recognised as foster parents in late 2015. They had to undergo lectures, training, scrutiny and a screening by the city's social welfare panel before they were certified.
The legal recognition comes amid what appears to be a society warming toward recognising the rights of LGBTQ people in the country.
I saw this article, too. East Asian countries are generally conservative on the issue of homosexuality. It will be interesting to study how culture and history contribute to societies' different attitudes toward the LGBT community. The Japan times also reports the news and here is the link: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/06/national/social-issues/osaka-becomes-first-japanese-city-recognize-sex-couple-foster-parents/#.WOgLoFXyvX4. I think the adoption process is great and other countries should follow. The couple attended lectures and training and were reviewed by the city's social welfare panel.The system seems to be efficient and fair. Thank you for sharing the news.
ReplyDelete
Over winter break, I visited Tokyo and met up with a bunch of CMC students. I had a fantastic time exploring Tokyo's gay village (Shinjuku Nichome), and it was incredible to see how Japanese LGBTQ+ populations reconcile traditional East Asian cultures with acceptance of identity and sexuality.
ReplyDelete