As Japanese municipalities increasingly recognize same-sex partnerships, Eric Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, is encouraging Japanese advocates for LGBT+ equality to build a campaign to change public opinion on the the issue of marriage equality.
In a speech in Osaka, Wolfson cited the lobbying and campaigning that lead to the 2015 US Supreme Court ruling that recognized the constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
In an interview with the US Embassy in Japan for American View, Wolfson stated, “One of the things I’ve found most exciting on this trip to Japan has been the enthusiasm of the non-gay people who have been committed to moving Japan forward and adding their voice to the discussion. That’s very much what we need. We need gay people speaking out about our stories to our neighbors and friends, and we need non-gay people talking about the gay people in their lives and also their shared values of making sure the law treats everybody with respect and honoring and helping all families so that everybody can move forward together.”
Read more from the Japan Times