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On September 25, Adachi Ward assembly member Masateru Shiraishi (LDP) took issue with teaching kids about LGBT people in schools and said that if everyone became gay or lesbian, it would lead to a disastrous population decline.
(1/?) https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/matsuokasoshi/20201003-00201360/
(1/?) https://news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/matsuokasoshi/20201003-00201360/
2. Masateru Shiraishi (LDP):
"If all Japanese [women] became lesbian, if all Japanese men became gay, would there be a subsequent generation? Not a single person would be born! (...) Would that really be good? We humans, too, are an animal species (...)." https://twitter.com/misaneX0323/status/1311978806459068416?s=19
"If all Japanese [women] became lesbian, if all Japanese men became gay, would there be a subsequent generation? Not a single person would be born! (...) Would that really be good? We humans, too, are an animal species (...)." https://twitter.com/misaneX0323/status/1311978806459068416?s=19
3. Nakano Ward assembly member Wataru Ishizaka (independent), who is openly gay himself, shares a link to the recording and notes that Shiraishi also claimed at one point that people are born B or T, but become L or G of their own volition. https://twitter.com/ishizakawataru/status/1312438899310915584?s=19
4. Ishizaka writes that it's important for people to understand that no one choose to become LGBT and that there are lesbian (and gay) couples raising kids too.
5. Setagaya Ward assembly member Aya Kamikawa (independent), who is transgender herself, points out that Shiraishi is quoted in a Tokyo Shimbun article, saying he doesn't want to protect LG rights, "because ['such a way of life'] shouldn't be recognised." https://twitter.com/KamikawaAya/status/1312375687731269637
6. In a separate tweet, Kamikawa, who has been pushing for minority rights ever since she became Japan's first openly trans politician in 2003, wonders whether Shiraishi would be able to understand the topic if someone would kindly explain it to him. https://twitter.com/KamikawaAya/status/1312053256370053120?s=19
7. Shinjuku Ward assembly member Karen Yoda (independent), who also happens to be trans, has written a blog post touching upon the matter, in which she explains that being LGBT is not a "lifestyle". https://twitter.com/karenshinjyuku/status/1312700543291195392
8. House of Councillors member Taiga Ishikawa (CDP), who happens to be openly gay, writes that "we don't 'spread', we simply 'exist'." https://twitter.com/ishikawataiga/status/1312310364390842368?s=19
9. This touches upon a point Ishikawa has previously also made: education and acceptance doesn't lead to more LGBT(Q+) people, it allows them to understand who they are and be who they are. https://twitter.com/writerofscratch/status/1143481069469147138?s=19
10. In a different tweet, Ishikawa says it's difficult to forgive Shiraishi for his bizarre statements, and he asks for the LGBT children of Adachi Ward to be given the hope to live.
He ends by saying "let's defeat discrimination together!" https://twitter.com/ishikawataiga/status/1312363089824686080?s=19
He ends by saying "let's defeat discrimination together!" https://twitter.com/ishikawataiga/status/1312363089824686080?s=19
11. Machida City assembly member Tomomi Higashi, who is non-binary (X-ジェンダー), aromantic and asexual, wonders why other assembly members remained silent during his speech. "His words won't just hurt people in Adachi, but people all across the country." https://twitter.com/higashi_machida/status/1312196936275902464?s=19
