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Rainbows and Closets a Study on Sexual Minorities’ Experiences in a Changing Japanese Society

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Rainbows and Closets a Study on Sexual Minorities’ Experiences in a Changing Japanese Society LUND UNIVERSITY • CENTRE FOR EAST AND SOUTH-EAST ASIAN STUDIES Rainbows and closets A study on sexual minorities’ experiences in a changing Japanese society Author: Klara Walldén Supervisor: Monica Lindberg Falk Master’s Programme in Asian Studies Spring semester 2018 Abstract Sexual minorities have been largely ignored in Japanese politics until very recently. The past couple of years have seen a change where LGBT issues have been brought to attention in both politics and in media. This thesis explored what impact these changes have on the lives of individuals, and the research was a qualitative study based on fieldwork in Japan and secondary sources. The study drew on Butler’s Performativity theory, Fraser’s theory of Recognition and Foucault’s theory of Power. The study found that the local changes in policies contributes to greater awareness, and encourages continued discussion. They do not, however, impact the social expectation and pressure that sexual minorities experience to any significant degree. The study also showed that media influence regarding stereotyping is strong, thus affecting sexual minorities negatively, although later years have seen a progress towards fairer representations with underlying educational and sympathy seeking intentions. Keywords: LGBT, sexuality, gender norms, Japan 1 Acknowledgements First of all, I want to extend my gratitude to Monica Lindberg Falk, my supervisor. Not only have your inputs and advice been invaluable to me, you also kept believing in me when I did not. I am also grateful for the help I received from the other teachers and staff at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies. I also want to extend my thanks to the informants, who allowed me to get a glimpse of their lives and made this study possible. This thesis would also not have existed were it not for the support from my friends and family. Thank you for taking care of me when I could not manage on my own. To Gabbi and Veronica; thank you for your warm welcome in a cold winter. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 2 Table of contents ........................................................................................................ 3 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 5 1.1 Background ......................................................................................................... 5 1.1.1 Historical background ................................................................................... 5 1.1.2 Marriage and family ...................................................................................... 7 1.1.3 Contemporary laws and policies ................................................................... 7 1.2 Aim ..................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Research questions .............................................................................................. 9 1.4 Disposition .......................................................................................................... 9 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 11 2.1 A gendered society .............................................................................................. 11 2.2 LGBT in Japan .................................................................................................... 12 2.3 Laws and policies ................................................................................................ 14 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................... 16 3.1 Performativity theory .......................................................................................... 16 3.1.1 Performativity and the aspect of precarity .................................................... 17 3.2 Justice through recognition ................................................................................. 17 3.2.1 Status over Identity ........................................................................................ 18 3.2.2 Justifying justice claims ................................................................................. 19 3.3 Power is everywhere ............................................................................................ 19 3.3.1 Biopolitics through biopower ........................................................................ 21 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 22 4.1 Study design ....................................................................................................... 22 4.2 Sampling ............................................................................................................ 22 4.3 Interview process ............................................................................................... 23 4.4 Transcription, translation and analysis ............................................................... 23 4.5 Reflexivity .......................................................................................................... 24 4.6 Limitations and demarcations ............................................................................ 25 3 4.7 Reliability and validity ....................................................................................... 25 4.8 Ethical considerations ........................................................................................ 26 5. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................ 28 5.1 Partnership Certificates ....................................................................................... 28 5.1.1 Intent and Impact ........................................................................................... 28 5.1.2 Attitudes ......................................................................................................... 31 5.2 Social expectations and discrimination ............................................................... 32 5.2.1 The nail that sticks out ................................................................................... 33 5.2.2 Family first .................................................................................................... 37 5.3 Media .................................................................................................................. 38 5.3.1 Portrayals and perceptions ........................................................................... 39 5.3.2 Recent developments ..................................................................................... 41 6. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................. 44 6.1 How are the partnership certificates perceived by LGBT individuals? .............. 44 6.2 How do LGBT individuals negotiate their identities in relation to the social expectations? ........................................................................................................ 45 6.3 How can the pressure to conform to the social norms be reduced? .................... 45 6.4 What impact does media have on sexual minorities’ lives? ............................... 46 References ................................................................................................................. 48 4 1 INTRODUCTION During my first visit to Japan, in the summer of 2013, I had an eye opening experience. As one of my Japanese friends introduced me to another, he chose to reveal my sexuality directly after saying my name, as if he was bragging about a rare find. After that it became more and more clear to me how invisible sexual minorities were. I started to pay more attention to the issue and in 2014 I went back to study at Waseda University for a year. My experiences there made me understand how prominent the gender norms are, and I even received hateful comments from other students when I made a presentation on LGBT rights. These experiences made me even more determined to continue to raise the issue. My time in Japan made me curious to learn more about LGBT individuals’ experiences, and I started to think about strategies to raise awareness and support those who are in need. These experiences are what eventually led me to write this thesis. 1.1 Background This section provides a background in order to present an idea of the social context of Japan. The first part deals with the history of sexual minorities and how they have been perceived of, followed by a short outline of important events that has led to the current situation. The second part provides an introduction to the role of marriage and family, and briefly explains the family registry system. Lastly, a brief overview of contemporary laws and policies is presented. 1.1.1 Historical Background Japan has a long history of non-heteronormative practices. McLelland (2000b: 20) states that it dates back at least a thousand years, although it has not traditionally taken the form of a distinct sexuality, but rather as practices that were socially accepted and not excluding attraction towards the opposite sex. There is plenty of documentation about such acts from the Tokugawa period, but much less
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