Reported by Sho WATANABE
The Stonewall Riot was a protest against the discrimination of sexual minorities in 1969.
The following year, people around the world rose up in support of the protest campaign.
It is said this protest campaign of anti-homophobia was the origin of the Gay Parade.
Even if this kind of parade was spreading not only in the U.S. but also around the world, it was not until 1994 that Japan started to hold similar parades. On August 28th in 1994,
Tokyo Lesbian Gay Parade was held by the Japanese chapter of ILGA (the International
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association). This parade was the second pride parade in East and Southeast Asian countries. Since 1994, many pride parades like
Tokyo Lesbian & Gay Parade (TLGP) and Tokyo Pride Parade (TPP) had been held in
Japan. With these prides, Japan is part of the worldwide pride movement under the umbrella of InterPride. The Pride Radar report of InterPride has identified almost 900 prides around the world so far.
Among the Japanese parades, one of the biggest, famous and most influential is the
Tokyo Rainbow Parade (TRP). TRP has been held since 2012. About 2500 people paraded from Shibuya to Harajuku, and the total number of participants not only parading but also lining the streets was estimated about 4500 in 2012. The number of participants in TRP has been increasing annually, about 12,000 in 2013, about 14,000 in
2014. In 2015, about 3,000 people paraded and about 60,000 people came to the TRP. In addition, a lot of companies like GAP, Google and CHANGE WITH CHEERIO and
TV personalities supported TRP. Thanks to their support, various social medias came to cover TRP and improved the Japanese degree of recognition of issues among sexual minorities and TRP itself.
Some embassies such as the U.S., the U.K and European countries opened their booth not only to support TRP but also to inform the visitors of current sexual minorities issues in their country. From this point, it can be said that TRP has something to do not only with sexual minorities in Japan but also with people around the world.
While TRP is the most famous, there are other pride parades. Kansai Rainbow Parade is the most famous one in the Kansai area. Kobe Gay Parade / LGBTIQ Pride March in
Kobe 2007 and Rainbow Parade by students of Ritsumeikan University Gender
Sexuality Project had been held in the past. In addition, Rainbow March Sapporo and
Queer Rainbow Parade in Hakata had been held.
There are many groups supporting sexual minorities in Japan. While the goal for most of these groups is solely to provide a safe and inclusive community for sexual minorities and rarely approach issues relating to sexual minorities, the number of not only sexual minorities but also alliances (ally) that want to engage with LGBT issues is increasing as the environment for LGBT people is changing. At the same time that
LGBT issues are being prioritized in Japanese society, there are few groups that conduct their activities from a viewpoint of inclusivity, and those who do want to engage with
LGBT issues often do not know how to proceed and cannot keep up with social change.
Under this closed tendency, pride parades have an important role not only to make sexual minorities visible in society, but also to help people think of problems that sexual minorities are facing and to include people regardless of their sexuality.
Even though there are some pride parades and they have an important role for Japanese society, there are still some difficulties for the parades. It is true that sexual minorities have been recognized in Japanese society and inequality is decreasing. Thanks to this,
Shibuya Yard started to support same-sex couples in 2015. It is difficult to deny improvement is under way for the LGBT community. In today's society, LGBT rights is a pressing topic and because of this, it usually attracts the interest of many people.
Many businesses and people may be supporting LGBT rights for the cause of commercial gain instead of for the cause of improving human rights. If the current tendency of regarding LGBT people as a way to make money does not change, the movement will not continue for a long time. The other serious difficulty is that leading activists and supportive people are concentrated in main cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
Due to this concentration and a labor shortage, pride parades are rarely held in rural areas. Even if they are held, they have difficulty continuing to be held. As a result, several parades like Rainbow March Sapporo have come to an end.
Japan still has difficulty and inequality for sexual minorities. On the other hand, it is getting more friendly to them thanks to pride parades which help people regardless of their sexuality to know and think of sexual minorities and act for them. However, these important parades have various obstacles to overcome when it comes to continuing them in Japan.
1969 年に起きたｽﾄｰﾝｳｫｰﾙの反乱は､性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨに対する差別への抗議運動であ った｡翌年､世界中で抗議運動を支援する動きが広がり､この反同性愛嫌悪運動 がｹﾞｲ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞの起源と言われている｡ｹﾞｲ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞはｱﾒﾘｶだけではなく世界各地 に広がったが､日本では 1994 年になって初めて開催された｡1994 年 8 月 28 日に､ ILGA 日本支部によって東京ﾚｽﾞﾋﾞｱﾝ･ｹﾞｲﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞが開催された｡このﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞは､東 ｱｼﾞｱ･東南ｱｼﾞｱ諸国内では 2 番目となる開催であった｡1994 年以降､日本では東 京ﾚｽﾞﾋﾞｱﾝ･ｹﾞｲﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞや東京ﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞなどが開催されてきた｡InterPride に よるﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞﾚｰﾀﾞｰ･ﾚﾎﾟｰﾄは世界中の約 900 のﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞを調査し､日本のﾌﾟﾗ ｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞも世界的なﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞの一つと捉えられている｡ 日本において大規模であり知名度や影響力の高いﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞとして、東京ﾚｲ ﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞがある｡東京ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞは 2012 年から開催されている｡2012 年 は､約 2000 人が渋谷から原宿まで行進し､沿道から応援していた人を含めると 合計で約 4500 人が参加していたとされる｡ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞへの参加人数は年々増してお り､2013 年には約 12000 人､2014 年には 14000 人が参加したとされる｡2015 年 のﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞでは､約 3000 人がﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞで行進し､約 60000 人が東京ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞに 来たとされている｡また､GAP や Google, CHANGE WITH CHEERIO などの企業 やﾃﾚﾋﾞﾀﾚﾝﾄが東京ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞを支援している｡これらの支援のおかげで､ 様々なｿｰｼｬﾙﾒﾃﾞｨｱが東京ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞを取材し､ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞや性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨにおける 諸問題の認知度が上がった｡ ｱﾒﾘｶ大使館やｲｷﾞﾘｽ大使館､ﾖｰﾛｯﾊﾟ諸国の大使館がﾌﾞｰｽを設け東京ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰ ﾄﾞを支援するだけではなく､各国の性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨの現状を伝えることもしている｡ この点からも､東京ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞは日本のみならず､世界の性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨとも一 定の関係性を持つことにつながっていると考えられる｡ 東京ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞの知名度が最も高いが､日本には他にも様々なﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞがある｡ 関西地方では関西ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞが開催されている｡他にも神戸ｹﾞｲ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞや立 命館大学の学生によるﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞ､ﾚｲﾝﾎﾞｰ･ﾏｰﾁ札幌なども過去には開催されてきた｡ 日本には､性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨを支援する様々な団体が存在している｡これらの団体の多 くが､性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨ当事者に対して安全で他者と関わりやすいｺﾐｭﾆﾃｨを提供する ことを第一の目的としている｡これらのﾋﾟｱｻﾎﾟｰﾄ要素の高い団体は非常に重要 である一方で､性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨ当事者のみならｱﾗｲも性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨに関する諸問題に取 り組むことができる場が不足している問題や､性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨに関する諸問題へ取 り組める機会や人が限られているといった閉鎖性という問題もある｡しかし､こ のような問題を抱えつつも､ﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞは日本社会において性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨの可 視化やｾｸｼｭｱﾘﾃｨを問わずに多くの人が性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨについて考える契機を与えて いる｡ ﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞは日本社会において重要な役割を果たしている一方で､いくつか の問題も抱えている｡たしかに､日本社会での性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨの可視化が進み､差別 の是正が行われつつある｡例えば 2015 年には､東京都渋谷区が同性ﾊﾟｰﾄﾅｰｼｯﾌﾟ証 明書を発行し､性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨを支援する動きは日本各地に広まりつつある｡また､ 多くの企業も性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨ支援を表明している｡しかし､人権という観点からの議 論はいまだ十分ではなく､商業的な観点からのみで性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨについて語られ る現状の傾向が続くようであれば､長期的な運動とはならなくなってしまう可 能性が高い｡また､東京や大阪といった大都市に著名な活動家や運動の担い手が 集中していることも一つの問題である｡地方都市に人材が足りないことが､地方 でﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞを開催することを困難としている要因の一つと考えられる｡ 現状の日本は､性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨが日常で直面する困難や不平等は多く残されており､ ﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞを開催する困難も山積している｡しかし､ﾌﾟﾗｲﾄﾞ･ﾊﾟﾚｰﾄﾞはｾｸｼｭｱﾘ ﾃｨを問わず多くの人が性的ﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨについて考え行動を起こす機会となっており､ 今後もその重要性は高くなると思われる｡
Participants take part in the
Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade and march through the streets of Shibuya district on
April 27, 2014 in Tokyo,
Japan. (Photo : Keith
Tsuji/Getty Images) http://www.latinpost.com/arti cles/64916/20150708/hundre ds-in-japans-lgbt-community- file-human-rights-complaint-a sk-for-marriage-equality.htm
On again, off again: Gay and lesbian rights activists demonstrate at the Tokyo
Pride Parade in August 2007 in Yoyogi Park. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/c ommunity/2012/04/24/issues
/tokyo-gets-double-dose-of-g
ay-pride-for-2012/#.Vx4wLq
OLSAw
[Biography of the Reporter] Sho Watanabe is a Waseda University student in Japan. He is a committee of Promotion of Gender Equality in Akiruno City and a president of LGBT Youth Japan.