ABOVE: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Photo via Kishida’s Facebook.
Masayoshi Arai, who until Feb. 4 served as executive secretary to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, was fired after he made anti-LGBTQ comments to reporters late Feb. 3 local time.
Arai told reporters in a gaggle at the prime minister’s office he would “not want to live next door” to an LGBTQ couple and that he does “not even want to look at them.”
He also said during an off-the-record conversation with reporters that if same-sex marriage is introduced in Japan, it would “change the way society is” and “quite a few people would abandon this country.”
At a press conference, a clearly agitated Kishida told reporters Arai’s remarks were “completely inconsistent with the policy of the Cabinet.” The prime minister added, “We have been respecting diversity and realizing an inclusive society.”
Kishida acknowledged that he had fired Arai upon learning of the comments calling them “inexcusable.”
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Tetsuro Fukuyama, a member of the Japanese House of Councilors, the upper house of the National Diet [Parliament] of Japan, took to Twitter writing:
“It’s an outrageous remark, even off the record. It would be a big problem if all the secretaries of the prime minister’s official residence had such a sense of human rights. ‘We respect human rights and values, but if same-sex marriage is recognized, some people will abandon the country.’ Do you understand the meaning of respect? It deserves immediate dismissal.”
An openly gay member of the House of Councilors, Taiga Ishikawa, said the situation was “beyond one’s patience” on Twitter and noted that Arai had also said that all of Kishida’s executive secretaries are against same-sex marriage.
The lawmaker, also a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, called for the entire team of secretaries to be dismissed and said he would pursue the matter in Parliament.
Japanese media outlet Kyodo News reported that Japan has not legally recognized same-sex marriage as many members of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, led by Kishida, have opposed the concept, emphasizing the country’s traditional values such as the role of women in giving birth and raising children.
The 150-day ordinary Diet session began on Jan. 23. The latest gaffes about LGBTQ people will likely prompt left-leaning opposition bloc lawmakers to grill Kishida over his views on family affairs in Japan, political experts said.
Late last year, LGBTQ issues in Japan drew fresh attention as Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Mio Sugita, the then parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs and communications, was pressured to retract past remarks against sexual minority couples.
