News / Sep. 04, 2019
The Japanese government this week granted a long-term visa toh%xQ+4#s%SA(o31#U5FZJtylX1UXNG@j0Fx9fSmGAh*uUTWoMM a South Asian transgender woman.
It is believed to be the first transgender person to receive special permission to stay in the country, acc2s+6!Zwnc=jAmHrHFi^vV(zh_wsga7(p*0H^yCA2!6+P5MRG4oording to the Japan Times.
The 58-year-old was granted a one-year long-term resident visa. She first came to Japan in 1981 under an entertainer u+h2t%CRnlZ7(Z7L^)RT2Ypb*n&v0aNIAl!-R1PR1V^M6#bzr5visa.
She could not return to her home country because sVRtGv_zCb=#=8C(FhNgGUS&yM0R-inQ1zXGFs8=N8bwa#lMsOAhe faced abuse because of her gender identity, the Japan Times reports.
In 2002 she met her current partner. The pairOlvkUZfhy4G_&Yof#YNk*@9aZSSdpWDn6eH)b!CE23-u@N6Ehu registered their relationship in 2016.
“Her long-term relationship witLT1rZi6#gdu11Jh^E$WYPmBJnT@J(sQzXgtuAPQ^^_Axj3vCb1h a Japanese man may have been a decisive factor the Justice Ministry took into consideration while reviewing the case,” said Miho Kumazawa, a lawyer representing the woman, at a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
“I need to repay the kindness I’ve been given (by Japan) and I’ll do my best to keep my promise I gave when I was granted the visa” the woman, who refused to give her name or nationality, said during Monday’s news conference.
LGBTI rights in Japan
Japan is the only member of the G7 bloc of most-developed nations that does not recogngwv&h7!qO@w$+sNd(0v3jShs8TWTc%+5h(hSo8#-*9v5tBPYD%ize same-sex marriage.
National laws do not protect LGBTI people from discriminatioT)9onS*X8lz&JAo+(zy2(q4BDlKdA7zm1(GI=m9oNVr9m3_p&On. The country’s laws also require transgender citizens to undergo sterilization in order to officially change gender.
But, increasing numbers of local administrations are recognizing same-sex couples with partnership certificates whic%kP1BMXGSYD_eHN*tS9AmfmisG$KDJZC)ShnUiMu7OffwMRMrjh give very limited recognition and rights.
And, 13 same-sex couples are taking the government to court to recognize theO+&LYG65kp4&z(Wl^4jhKlnQt@BIWwh3^Sr1Om)mczqPTWi2iEir relationships.
In March this year, Japan granted special permissi%qJUo0gD00vbJqPP4rMd(qNj*mCbfBoV%yLUCHd+0=@b&GlW+_on to a gay Taiwanese man to stay in Japan with his partner.
The man, who is in his 40s, lived with his paVLJSTTzl(SH@mi!JoOP*QE=GiZ&KlS6VftF3%UCFEurvOSjFQqrtner in Japan for 25 years.
He illegally overstayed his visa. However, in a rare move by the government, his deportation order was revoked and a special residency status nc8M#7d3xWc64D&z!t6g8DoJB#MsO3wDubZ08YSt&qB^4SsDw&was granted.
And, in July, it was announced that Japan last year granted an LGBTI refSa&7bh2f41BGhEgvfrjk6uMm-^-85=X5ppF%fOoFHR(zW7qZ^Lugee asylum last year as they were at risk due to their sexuality in their country of origin.
It was the first known case of Japan granting asylum based on sexuaPD5J&IT%O%=fdLnX2Z)C&(3RNgJm%Cvapl!IL^m_q2_De3FXzPl orientation.
