The Japanese government has finalized a basic plan to promote understanding of sexual minorities, including implementing education on sexual minorities in school settings. It comes three years after the enactment of a related law that includes a ban on discrimination against sexual minorities.

According to the Asahi Shimbun and other outlets on the 17th, the first basic plan approved by the Cabinet the previous day sets out what the government, companies, and others should do to enhance public understanding of sexual minorities.

[Flat] “As early as 2027, Japan will legalize same-sex marriage… Will anyone be made unhappy by that?”

Working with local governments, the central government must develop educational materials to raise awareness of sexual minorities and establish consultation systems related to sexual-minority issues. Schools are to have counselors and other professionals in place to create an environment in which students can easily seek counseling. Companies must ensure there is no disadvantage or harassment toward sexual minorities in hiring or at work. The basic plan will be reviewed every three years.

The ‘LGBT Understanding Promotion Act’ was enacted in 2023. Japan, which had been criticized as a ‘human-rights laggard’ for being the only G7 country without a law banning discrimination against sexual minorities, hurried to enact the bill ahead of that year’s G7 Hiroshima Summit out of concern that the issue of discrimination against sexual minorities would be raised.

The act stipulates that ‘regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, individuals shall be respected and shall not be subjected to unjust discrimination.’ However, it also exposed its limits by reflecting the views of some conservative members of the Liberal Democratic Party, including the inclusion of the phrase “due consideration shall be given so that all citizens can live with peace of mind.”

The three-year span from the law’s enactment to the formulation of the basic plan is also said to have been due to opposition from conservatives within the party. Whereas the draft plan stated that public awareness of sexual minorities had “not advanced sufficiently,” the final version changed this to say that “awareness is gradually spreading.”