ENGLISH PAGE #3

Q. Won’t same-sex marriage exacerbate the low birth rate problem in Japan? 

A.There is no relationship between same-sex marriage and the nation’s low birth rate.  Of the 25 countries and regions that have already introduced same-sex marriage laws, not a single nation has seen any scientific evidence that the implementation of same-sex marriages has affected the birth rate of that country. It is inconceivable that straight people would choose to marry people of the same-sex even if same-sex marriages were allowed. Things will just continue as they had always been. 

Q.Marriage is for the procreation and providing children,  therefore same-sex couples who cannot bear children should not get married. 

A. Legally there is no rule providing that you need to be able to bear children in order to get married. In fact infertile men or women who have lost their uterus or ovaries due to illnesses are allowed to married, or stay married if the situation is revealed after marriage.

Marriage is a concept separate from the couple’s ability to procreate and thus is not a reason to forbid same-sex marriages.  I am sure you know people around you who are married but do not have children and are living happily together. Essentially the institution marriage is there to provide for the rights for two individuals to live happily together. 

Q.I hear that in Japan, you can get married in places such as Shibuya. Aren’t the local partnership certificates sufficient? 

A.The local partnership certificates and marriage are two completely different systems. There are a lot of legal hurdles for couples if they are of the same-sex and because they can’t get married. The creation of partnership certificates is expected to have made it easier for people to respect those rights, but as there are no penalties for not respecting them, this is not seen as a solution to the problems. In order to deal with the issues at their roots we need to recognize the freedom to marry regardless of sexual orientation and gender.