The Sapporo Municipal Government has unveiled draft rules for officially recognizing same-sex partnerships between gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples.
Not only would Sapporo be the country's first major city to set such rules, it would also be the first municipality to certify partnerships between heterosexual couples with gender-identity disorder, municipal officials said Tuesday.
Under the draft rules, Sapporo residents 20 and over would be eligible for the status. Upon receiving what would be called a "partnership vow," the municipal government would issue the couple a receipt and a copy of their vows.