Last Update: February 04, 2023, 23:48 IST
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Photo: @kishida230, Twitter)
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Masayoshi Arai’s remarks, in which he said he “doesn’t even want to see married same-sex couples”, were “outrageous” and “inconsistent” with an inclusive society, which the government aims to Is
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday sacked one of his secretaries over homophobic comments the premier called “outrageous”.
Kishida said Masayoshi Arai’s comments – in which he said he “doesn’t even want to see married same-sex couples” – were “outrageous” and “inconsistent” with an inclusive society the government is aiming for.
“I decided to relieve him of his position as secretary,” Kishida told reporters.
On Friday, Arai said “they won’t feel good if they live next door” and that people will “leave the country” if we allow gay marriage, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The 55-year-old later apologised, saying his comments were not appropriate even though they were his personal opinion.
The dismissal is another blow to Kishida’s government, which has faced declining approval ratings since last year.
Kishida has lost four ministers in just three months over allegations of financial irregularities or ties to the controversial Unification Church.
Japan is the only country in the Group of Seven industrialized nations that does not recognize same-sex marriage, although a majority in recent media polls support such unions.
This week, the prime minister told parliament that gay marriage would “affect society” and therefore MPs needed to be “extremely careful in considering the matter”.
More than a dozen couples across Japan have filed lawsuits in district courts, arguing that the ban on same-sex marriage violates the constitution.
In November, a Tokyo court said the country’s failure to legally protect same-sex partners created an “unconstitutional situation” – ruling that the constitution’s definition of marriage was legal.
read all Breaking News Here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)