Thousands of LGBTIQ people marched in Tokyo’s annual Rainbow Pride event, advocating for change and respect regardless of sexuality.
Rainbow Pride Week runs from April 29 to May 7 in Tokyo, culminating in a march on the final day, with the sixth edition of the event heralding a more equitable future.
“I believed that nothing would change. But, little by little, things are starting to change,” the flyers read.
“Let’s achieve a future where everybody is respected as an individual, despite differences in their sexuality.”
Attended by close to 5,000 people, the parade was sponsored by 190 companies – an event record, with well-known names such as Sony and Google among the backers.
Having passed a law in 2015 declaring legally-binding same-sex partnership certificates as having the same legal standing as traditional marriages, Mayor of the Shibuya district where the march was held Ken Hasebe posted a message of support on the event’s website.
“I find it important to create an atmosphere in which all LGBT people, not just couples but also children and adults, can feel comfortable living.” Hasebe said.
