Japan's powerful Lower House passed a contentious bill on Tuesday to promote understanding of sexual minorities, paving the way for enacting the legislation by the end of the current parliamentary session through next week.
The bill is aimed primarily at banning unjust discrimination against people based on sexual orientation. Japan lags behind the other Group of Seven advanced nations in terms of legal protections for sexual minorities.
One of the most controversial aspects of the bill is a clause stipulating, "All citizens can live with peace of mind," which has been lambasted by critics for prioritizing safeguarding the rights of the majority in society rather than sexual minorities.