ENGLISH PAGE #2

Same-Sex Couples Voices

 

 

How to reach “Freedom for All to Marry” 

 

 

In order to create a substantial debate and a sizeable movement to promote the legislation of same-sex marriage (Marriage Equality) we need funds from as many people as possible in order to create and maintain websites, hold events, research papers, public relations costs and cover various other outsourcing costs.
 
Furthermore, we will also be covering travel costs for the plaintiffs, the legal team and the witnesses who will be testifying in court and who are located across Japan, the costs of submitting academic opinions, as well as the various costs such as facsimile costs. 
 
We plan to use all the precious support we receive from all of you as part of the activity fund for the realization of “a society where everyone can choose to get married or not, regardless of their sexual preferences”. 
 
We look forward to your support and generosity. 
 

 

Uses of the Support Money: 

 

 

Message of Support

 

Fumino Sugiyama (Representative Director of New Canvas and former member of the Japanese National Women’s Fencing Team) 

 

I was born a woman but now live as man. 

However as I have not have had my reproductive organs surgically removed, my family registry still registers me as a woman. 
 
I am currently raising a child with the female partner with whom I have lived together for the last eight years, but because we are not married I am not legally recognized as one of the guardians of that child. 
 
Same-sex marriage is not only important for homosexuals and bisexuals but also for transgender people too. I support full heartedly this lawsuit and the movement to bring about marriage equality.
 

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Ayaka Ichinose (Artist of Yoshimoto Creative Artists) 
 

It is important for all people to be given the choice to get married, if they so wish to get married. 

It is against the spirit of the constitution not to accept marriage registration papers just because those registering are of the same sex. The Ministry of Justice accepts that the reason this happened is not because of constitutional law but because the necessary civil code was not in place.  

The plaintiffs have gone through the effort of getting their marriage requests denied to provide this as evidence in court, not because they want compensation. 

I hope the day that same-sex couples are given the same legal benefits as different-sex couples comes sooner than later.  
 

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Sota Kimura (Tokyo Metropolitan University professor of law) 

 

The Japanese Supreme Court has cited in a judicial precedent that Article 24 “clearly points to the fact that marriage is based on the free and equal decision of both individuals to choose who and when they want to marry.”

 

In this lawsuit’s case, these ‘individuals’ are homosexuals, and they are being denied their right to marry by legislators despite the fact that marriage is a ‘free and equal decision of both individuals’ and despite the fact they want to marry ‘this specific person now’. I am sure the courts will reach the logical decision based on this past judicial precedent.  

 

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Keiko Kojima （Essayist) 

 

Everybody hopes at one point they would like to have an irreplaceable bond with someone special and live securely and happily ever after with them.
 
It's up each person to decide what sort of bond this will be and with whom it will be. I chose to get married legally, however one of my friends, even though they wanted to do the same, could not.  
That is because their partner was of the same sex. 
 
Please help us grant everyone the wish to marry if they so wish to. And I support this whole-heartedly. 
 

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Hirotaka Ototake （Author）

 

When people in Japan hear the word ‘discrimination’, what first comes to mind is hate speech attacks. However discrimination is also when, for no logical reason, a specific group of people is not allowed to do something everyone else can. 
 
The fact that people of the same-sex cannot get married is a clear act of discrimination. 
 

 

 

 

 

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Chizuru Azuma （Actress and head of The Get in touch Project）

 

I was waiting for parliament to write a law granting couples the choice of whether or not to they can keep their separate spousal names. However I ran out of patience and got married anyway, I chose to marry in order to make it easier to exercise our rights and duties as spouses and for the stability of our daily lives. I also thought it would be best for my work, for my taxes, and life in this country. 

 

“Traditional family values”, “the natural order of things”, “impetus to a further decline in the low birthrate”; These are all concepts that are unfounded and have no bases in reality. A government figure from Holland, the first country in the world which recognized same-sex marriages, has said publicly that ‘All it has done is increase the number of happy people’. That is why already 24 nations recognize same-sex marriages. Amongst the G7 only Japan does not recognize same-sex marriages. I am totally baffled at this fact. 

 

I hope we can catch up as soon as possible to other ‘advanced human rights nations’ and even over take them to become an ‘advanced nation of love’ I can be proud of. 

 

 

Genki Masuda （Movie Director （Directed ‘Watashi wa watashi 〜over the rainbow’）・Musician) 

 

 

 

I cried when some of my dearest friends wished me happiness (at my wedding). 
 
I would like to see those same dear friends also attain the same happiness. 

This fight is also about our right to share in the happiness of our dear friends being able to live happily and create families with the individuals they love. 

I also want the right to congratulate them openly. 
 
I want to live in a society where we can simply be able to congratulate our neighbors for their happiness.  If possible I want to see this happen while everyone who is alive today is still alive. 
 

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Ruiko Monda （Representative of AIDS Orphan Support NPO ・PLAS）

 

Freedom for everyone to marry! 
 
I full heartedly agree and support this action to recognize same-sex marriages.  

 

Let’s make the obvious, obvious! And a reality. 
 

 

 

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Jun Hori (Journalist) 

 

For every hundred people there are a hundred different forms of happiness.
 
I wish this society was one where this obvious statement felt true for everyone. 
 
I agree with this. Let’s work together to put out the good word. 

　

 

 

 

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