Asia Pacific Mar 4, 2021
Byun Hee-soo was forcibly discharged from the army after sex reassignment surgery.
World / Politics Feb 26, 2021
LGBTQ Americans inch closer to 'freedom' as House passes Equality Act
By a vote of 224 to 206, the House passed the landmark Equality Act, which amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes.
Commentary / Japan Feb 11, 2021
Diversity is key to Japan’s relations with the U.S.
by Satohiro Akimoto
In the words of a recent study by the Brookings Institution, “the Biden team is on track to assemble the most diverse set of Senate-confirmed appointees in American history.”
TV Feb 3, 2021
Miniseries 'HodoBuzz' delves into the dark side of Japan's media industry
by Donican Lam
The series created by Derrrrruq!!!, a team based in New York, calls out sexism, harassment and other issues that are prevalent in the Japanese workplace.
Commentary / Japan Feb 3, 2021
Olympics as game changer for Japan’s LGBT rights
by Minky Worden and Kanae Doi
Japan is a democracy with an active civil society, yet Olympic athletes and visitors may be surprised to learn that there are no national anti-discrimination laws on sexual orientation.
Commentary / World Jan 18, 2021
India must legalize same-sex marriage
by Kanav Narayan Sahgal
India is clearly lagging behind, so much so that the country’s courts took close to 25 years to merely decriminalize consensual and private same-sex activity.
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Jan 8, 2021
'No need to feel inferior': China dating app helps raise awareness of LGBT issues
Nasdaq-listed Blued has made efforts to tackle the stigma around HIV that has fueled discrimination against gay men and prevented people from seeking medical care.
National Jan 4, 2021
People changing registered gender rising at record pace in Japan
A record high total of 948 people changed their officially registered gender in 2019, up from 868 in 2018.
Asia Pacific Jan 3, 2021
Far from the administrative glare of Beijing, the cosmopolitan city, dubbed "Gaydu" by Chinese millennials, has long cherished its reputation as a safe haven for the LGBTQ community.
National / Social Issues Dec 27, 2020
Japan's unmarried and LGBT citizens forced to use foreign sperm banks
While some laws relating to better fertility treatment have been enacted, the buying and selling of eggs and sperm is still to be debated.
National Dec 27, 2020
38% of LGBT people in Japan have been sexually harassed or assaulted
Over 4,100 survey respondents said they have been victims of at least one among 10 types of incidents deemed to be sexual harassment or assault.
National / Social Issues Dec 20, 2020
Surveys find more than 600 prefecture-run schools in at least 19 of Japan's 47 prefectures have relaxed restrictions regarding uniform dress codes.