Koyuki Higashi is slim, articulate and intelligent, thingsthat make a would-be wife attractive to many in Japan. But Higashi knowsshe will probably never marry because she is a lesbian. But when Barack Obamagingerly put his head above the election year parapet, announcing he was infavour of same-sex marriage, it lit a spark of hope on the other side of thePacific in conservative Japan.
"Seeing the US president expressing his support forsame-sex couples was like being told it was ok to be who we are," saidHigashi, 27. "Everyone now knows Obama supports same-sex marriage. Theimpact is so big, it's incomparable." Her partner, 34-year-old Hiroko, whouses only one name, agreed. "I was really happy to see Obama use his star powerin that way," she said. Obama's pronouncement preceded a global campaignaimed at encouraging a stronger voice for gay rights. Shuhei Ninomiya, professorof law at Ritsumeikan University, said the imported debate over gay marriagemay help, in the long run, to provoke discussion over how the family as an ideacan adapt to the needs of 21st century Japan.
"The law is not designed for divorcing parents tocommunicate and share child custody after they separate," he said."Under the law, marital diversity is largely denied. "Discriminationagainst children born out of wedlock, stigmatising them because of theirparents' marital status, has been justified to protect legitimatemarriage." "We need to hear Obama's support for same-sex couples as abroader message that forms of marriage can be colourful and different for eachcouple."
Hiroko said the gay marriage debate was an important one foreveryone in Japan, where the pressure to conform to social norms is high. "Bothmajority and minority groups should join hands, otherwise we cannot hope to seea change in the law," she said.
