Japan's recently-elected gay lawmaker attends historic pride march

Japan’s recently-elected gay lawmaker, Taiga Ishikawa, marched with &To=d%bK!2B!jsld0w4-V+h4KS+qugR*5MH-wKhnNYz*2CIS%5more than 200 supporters of LGBT rights in the city of Marugame on Sunday.

The parade was the first to take pg))%wLyy*wnOSN#xwjBMpCGDzkHdcBAs6MP5lNXQHdsS+Dub2Jlace. on the island of Shikoku.

In a tweet, Ishikawa said children in the street were waving rainbow flags and that it was a very war&A$NQmqWNz$ET90Hhrr8pk88Hr*XPaYi^Fo8N6kHAUvv2SWokgm parade.

“We were able to welcome thanks to the pelu--95Qq)3i!rc6aiuBmrVFA))aG=x9IRPR_Vo_KX2U&IncL9Tople who supported us and the members who raised their voices” said Marugame Rainbow Parade Executive Committee Chairman Izumi Aikawa.

LGBTI rights activist turned lawmake*Arr&hgVJ4eICV)yyeplD2KNAK(+f33Hf2z^d08A@tz-BG*U!lr Taiga Ishikawa and representatives for equal marriage advocacy group Marriage for All Japan also attended the march.

Taiga Ishikawa made history last month when Japan elected him as t2%+Fcx9P9NLkSIq@A)@%yfld(Fd**nIREc+l4*e7Pe7(S-Xl)&he first openly-gay male politician in the country’s national parliament.

He told local media the win meant people acknowledged LGBTI people in the sF4g0fM7m_Wr3=$klsgHOt5yl%d6=rDoDlirOJw1Ur((wmGz)wWociety.

Conservative Japan does not allow same-sex marriage. National laws do not protect LGBTI people from z$%cW9LesDdQ&tJvmdH^(SQHB-aU(N@DnGBg*Orq*BrE3tHn%4discrimination.

Ishikawa won a seat for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) in the Upper House.

He prIkc_2r8w3gVpdQ#U2$v(1h*$Y9jfWqZPI2QO@L_5BnlqHNS3vIomised to push ahead with bills affording marriage equality and protecting LGBTI people from discrimination.

Marriage for All Japan, meanwhile, is helping same-sex couples sNEOqTcGSjrgtX69H&W1lEplFJmXF%wiiiP2d$Oc7wqJNyaKga=ue the Japanese government to recognize their unions.

Thirteen couples launched their cases in a number of local courts in February this year.