A group of local assembly members in Tokyo have formed a group aimed at supporting pro-LGBT+ policies and initiatives, the Asahi Shimbun reports.
The league of five politicians includes the first openly transgender elected official in Japan, Aya Kamikawa, who represents Setagaya—one of the first Tokyo wards to legally recognise same-sex partnerships.
“We want to change society based on changes at local levels,” Kamikawa said at the group’s press conference this week.
Kunihiro Maeda— an assembly member in Bunkyo Ward—used the event as an opportunity to publicly come out for the first time.
“LGBT people exist in any generation,” he said. “I hope my coming out will encourage people in my generation to take a courageous step.”
The group—which also consists of prefectural and municipal assembly members—will hold its first session on July 27 in Tokyo.
