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Same-sex marriage should be legal, a Japanese high court rules, calling the failure to allow it unconstitutional
Tokyo — A Japanese high court ruled Thursday that denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and called for urgent government action to address the lack of any law allowing such unions.
The court doesn’t have the power to overturn the current marriage law, which has been interpreted to restrict marriage as between a man and a woman. Government offices may continue to deny marriage status to same-sex couples unless the existing law is revised to include LGBTQ+ couples, or a new law is enacted that allows for other types of unions.
The Sapporo High Court ruling said not allowing same-sex couples to marry and enjoy the same benefits as straight couples violates their fundamental right to have a family.
A lower court issued a similar ruling earlier Thursday, becoming the sixth district court to do so. But the Tokyo District Court ruling was only a partial victory for Japan’s LGBTQ+ community calling for equal marriage rights, as it doesn’t change or overturn the current civil union law that describes marriage as between a man and a woman.
Five previous court decisions in various districts said Japan’s policy of denying same-sex marriage is either unconstitutional or nearly so. However, unlike the Sapporo ruling, none of the low-level courts clearly deemed the existing marriage law unconstitutional
Japan is the only country among the so-called G-7 industrialized nations that doesn’t allow same-sex marriage. But, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer, momentum for change is growing, thanks in large part to couples who’ve stepped out of the shadows to push for equality and inclusion — despite the personal risks.
Palmer says banners and the bunting were hung in July for Tokyo’s first full-scale Pride parade since the coronavirus pandemic. It was both a party, and a political rally to press for same-sex marriage rights.
U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel joined the crowds and lent his vocal support, saying he could already “see a point in Japan’s future” when, “like America… where there is not straight marriage… not gay marriage… there’s only marriage.”
Proudly joining the parade that day were Kane Hirata and Kotfei Katsuyama, who have become poster boys for the cause.
Asked why they believe their country is the only one in the G-7 that doesn’t yet allow same-sex marriage, Katsuyama told CBS News Japan’s ruling political party has close ties with fringe religious sects and staunchly conservative anti-LGBTQ groups.
A powerful right-wing minority in Japan’s parliament has managed for years to block major changes to the country’s marriage laws.
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Nonprofit reunites Marines with their K9s
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How a unique Topeka program is welcoming immigrants and helping them thrive
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How a unique Topeka program is welcoming immigrants and helping them thrive
Topeka, Kansas — When Angelica Chernytska and her mother Larysa left war-torn Ukraine earlier this year, they never expected Topeka, Kansas, would quickly feel like home.
“I was overwhelmed, that is how I can describe my feelings,” Angelica told CBS News.
That’s because the people of this Midwestern city have created a modern-day welcome wagon.
“It’s very rewarding to see the children thrive in school, not afraid of sirens,” said Yana Ross, president of the nonprofit group Top City Promise.
Ross, who immigrated from Ukraine herself, started the volunteer group to help new immigrants, mostly Ukrainians so far, with almost all expenses for three months, including a place to live.
Larysa said she “was overwhelmed” to walk into a fully furnished apartment the day after she arrived in Topeka.
What is unique is how the group has partnered with the community to ensure the immigrants have more than just a roof over their heads. A Latter-day Saints church welcomes the newcomers to pick up free food, while a Catholic church stores donations that furnish the homes.
Topeka Public Schools has gone as far as hiring a director of cultural innovation, Dr. Pilar Mejía, who helps ease the transition for children.
“We need to strengthen our community from the ground up, and it starts with the children, and so we need to make sure that everybody feels like they’re important,” Mejía said. “They are seen, they are welcomed.”
Topeka Public Schools now has an international flair. In the district of almost 13,000, Ukrainian and Spanish are the most common languages after English. More than 200 refugees have benefitted from the program and the helping hand extends to all nationalities.
Lisbeth Amador came from Nicaragua with her husband and 6-year-old daughter Sury. The couple have jobs, a car and a good school for Sury.
“I love it,” Amador says of her family’s new home. “…It’s different, my life here.”
The cost of welcoming a family can range anywhere from $300 to $10,000 depending on needs. Top City Promise relies on fundraising and the big hearts of the people who call Topeka home.
“Community is what makes Topeka different, because of the desire of the Topeka community to help, to help them to be successful,” Ross said.