Japan Gets Second Court Ruling Backing Same-Sex Marriage
- Court says lack of same-sex union recognition unconstitutional
- Japan is the only G-7 nation without legal same-sex unions
Japan is the only G-7 nation that doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions.
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A court in central Japan ruled the country’s lack of recognition for same-sex marriage violates the constitution, local media reported, the second such decision that could add pressure on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government to give more rights to LGBTQ couples.
The Nagoya District Court on Tuesday sided with a gay couple that argued they don’t have equal treatment under the law because of their inability to wed, according to public broadcaster NHK and other news outlets. The presiding judge rejected a demand by the plaintiffs, who are both in their 30s, for the state to pay damages, the reports said.