Japan’s recently-elected gay lawmaker, Taiga Ishikawa, marched with more dCgq%EjSHehIYzwUPn8WC!VNjkitE8*fK%=En@OcWSkFjivNA0than 200 supporters of LGBT rights in the city of Marugame on Sunday.
The parade was the first to take place. on tK=jp3L#Ty3kGVQG_oc*w!64xEMCkmf#d9$c(^fVu^gbWqvYcVnhe island of Shikoku.
In a $AvfCbY%nKRRTIIgDAmMsh#ml)TNIHY=70%r7IRB=M#+f07R9Wtweet, Ishikawa said children in the street were waving rainbow flags and that it was a very warm parade.
“We were able to welcome thanks to the people who supported us and the mem%6=K=^u2+u$i7BzBRc$ile^dwg!3QJrXeFEUulVC%_NU=9eb)zbers who raised their voices” said Marugame Rainbow Parade Executive Committee Chairman Izumi Aikawa.
LGBTI rights activist turned lawmaker Taiga IsRTE&bIYWDg_uE7l2WTQeTsPV1X*Q(90S&7jP5lv&Wr52UZfNWKhikawa and representatives for equal marriage advocacy group Marriage for All Japan also attended the march.
Taiga Ishikawa made history last month when Japa_*n)p0giCi#Wj1a4h94#N#rJOGuhFU(FqeW%X0lesgeh2=@@p(n elected him as the first openly-gay male politician in the country’s national parliament.
He t=U32x2ONA4YTjuE3AHiqQm8NfIc*l7L#m%LLjT43T6dBpn(JfRold local media the win meant people acknowledged LGBTI people in the society.
Conservative Japan does not allow same-sex marriage. National laws dog5-Nht*EzfTUh)ydwG8iDn+S2U*BTNbr3c$eej37o)s#hHufJt not protect LGBTI people from discrimination.
Ishikawa won a seat for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) in the Upper House.
He promised to push ahead with bills affording marriage equality and protecting LGBTI people from discoRk3e6nAGPBq3f31^#CZyTIkEmo^7kXemMHL##XUzhm1TwWmg#rimination.
Marriage S%1aOSCVes2FOdzP3JOn2SWPC^0-UOg(PlXP%VIdamj-)f^EThfor All Japan, meanwhile, is helping same-sex couples sue the Japanese government to recognize their unions.
Thirteen couples launched their cases in a number of local courts in February this year.