Japan Govt OKs Basic Plan to Raise LGBT Awareness

Tokyo, June 16 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government Tuesday adopted a basic plan under a law aimed at promoting understanding of LGBT people and other sexual minorities. The plan, approved at a cabinet meeting, calls for awareness-raising training programs and improved consultation systems, stating that unjust discrimination must not be tolerated. The formulation of the basic plan is the first of its kind. The plan will serve as the guidelines for related efforts by the central and local governments, schools and businesses. The plan notes growing recognition of sexual minorities while pointing out that some people struggle to live with their sexual orientation and experience confusion and anxiety. It calls for promoting academic research, disseminating related knowledge and developing consultation systems as measures to promote understanding of sexual minorities. Under the plan, the central government will collect information on related measures and initiatives in and outside the country, create brochures and training videos for distribution to local governments and provide training for counsellors at various institutions. For young people, the plan stipulates that responses tailored to their mental and physical development are required because sexual orientation may change during the process of growth. It calls for enhancing consultation systems for students through the use of school counsellors. The implementation status of the plan will be announced once a year. The plan will be reviewed approximately every three years. The law to promote understanding of sexual minorities was enacted in 2023. However, it took three years to formulate the latest plan due to divisions within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party between proponents and cautious members. The removal of the phrase “the public’s understanding of the issue has not advanced sufficiently” from the draft appears to reflect consideration for conservatives. “We will appropriately promote necessary efforts while listening to various opinions and garnering broad public support,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference Tuesday. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]