On February 14th, thirteen same-sex couples who are seeking marriage will file a lawsuit against Japan

We are a same-sex couple who have been living together for around ten years. We threw a wedding in 2013, but are not a family on legal terms.

Same-sex couples cannot get married in Japan.

We could be content with the current situation, as long as we stay healthy. When time passes and something eventually happens to our partners, we must face a wall of inequality in many situations, just because of us being same-sex couples.

For example, when a partner is in a state of unconsciousness due to an illness, the married partner can tend the ill and speak to the doctor. For a same-sex couple, on the other hand, one is not given the benefits of a spouse, as the partner is “not a legal family member.”

Unmarried couples cannot inherit the significant others’ fortunes without a will, no matter how long they had lived together.

A woman in a same-sex relationship could lose custody of her child if her partner, who is the biological mother of their child, were to die. From a legal stance, the non-biological mother is deemed a “complete stranger,” and would be separated from her child.

Non-citizens can obtain their rights to stay in Japan by marrying a Japanese. Same-sex couples do not receive the same treatment since they cannot legally marry. When one of them loses occupation, the couple loses the right to live together in Japan.

There are many more disadvantages same-sex couples face from not being able to legally marry.

“I want to marry the partner that I love”

Isn’t this feeling universal, regardless of your gender or sexuality?

We, along with other same-sex couples who seek marriage equality, will file a lawsuit against Japan on February 14th.

We are not going to court just for our sake.

We go to court because changes must come for this current society where prejudice and inequality still remain. Changes must come for the sexual minorities and the younger generations in Japan.

If there are those who cannot voice their frustrations, we want to do whatever we can to help them.

We may be faced with backlash, but someone must take that first step forward. We wanted to be that shield to push through, the first to open the way for many others to come.

Freedom of Marriage for All

As of January, 2019, same-sex marriage is legal in twenty-five countries. Japan is the only nation in the G7 not to recognize security for same-sex partnerships of any kind.

In the United States, suicide rates in the younger members of the LGBT community have decreased by 14% since the legalization of same-sex marriage. The overall suicide rates decreased as well, by 6%.

We believe that accepting all forms of families will lead to better living and happiness--not only for the LGBT community but for people of many communities.

This lawsuit will likely be the start of a long battle. We cannot reach the finish line just on our own.

This fight is only possible with the help of our prosecution team, defense counsel, and most importantly, your support.

Some may find our movement “bothersome.” But for many of us to spend the rest of our lives with the partners we love so dearly -- we ask for just a little bit of your support.

For the Judge to reflect and give verdict on the fact that “not allowing same-sex marriage is a violation of the constitution” --

Will you support our movement, to help all people in love, regardless of their sexuality, to have the freedom of marriage?

We sincerely ask for your signature on this petition.

●Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs such as “Isn’t same-sex marriage forbidden by the constitution?” and “Won’t same-sex marriage lead to a decline in birth rates?” are misconceptions, and are explained in the link below. Please take a look.

FAQ