Japan court rules for same-sex marriage

Three same-sex couples claimed a victory in their lawsuit seeking damages from the Japanese government for not allowing them to get married. Judge Tomoko Takebe on Wednesday declared Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, means the country should give homosexual couples the right to marry. This is the first of five gay marriage lawsuits—four with almost identical wording—to receive a ruling.

What happens now? The decision does not redefine marriage in Japan, but activists see it as a step in that direction. Public support for such a change is lukewarm, and the legislature likely will not alter the law anytime soon, Japan Times reported. Taiwan passed a law in 2019 making it the only Asian country that allows same-sex marriage.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in The Sift on Taiwan’s decision to legalize same sex marriage despite strong voter opposition.