U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has said it is important to accept people of other sexual orientations and will attend Sunday's Rainbow Parade in Tokyo to drive home the point.
The ambassador, who has also worked to promote marriage equality in his own country, said that gay and lesbian people should be acknowledged as part of an inclusive society.
"Our goal is building a society where everybody feels valued, everybody feels like they count, everybody feels like they can be a responsible member of the community," he said.