「どんな時も精いっぱい生きた」(lit. "I lived as best as I could at every moment"), a movie depicting youth grappling with transitioning, showing on July 24

「ぼくが性別『ゼロ』に戻るとき～空と木の実の9年間」(lit. The Time I Returned to "Zero" Gender: 9 Years of Skies and Fruits) is a movie documentary following the story of a young transgender man, as he explores his own gender. It has been in theatres since July 24. Takamasa Kobayashi (25), the protagonist, once appeared in a Mainichi News serial story before. "What meaning does gender hold for people? What then is 'being yourself?'" The answers to those questions are incorporated into the film, 10 years in the making since that first meeting. (Kaori Gomi/Integrated Coverage Centre)

Revulsion towards your assigned gender

During a holiday afternoon in May 2010, there was Takamasa in a restaurant located in the heart of Tokyo. It was a place of gathering for youth, aged 10-20 years old, who worried and experienced discomfort towards their gender. A journalist sat and interviewed with these people who dealt with issues regarding their gender such as gender dysphoria, which then became a focal point for the series「境界を生きる」(lit. Living on the Boundary). Still with baby cheeks and his bangs almost completely covering his eyes, Takamasa had just entered high school. When his turn for school introductions came around, he was shy but a little proud to have publicly announced that he had a gender identity disorder (GID).

　When he was in elementary, Takamasa remembered how unpleasant it was to discuss topics regarding gender and puberty. He had been raised as a girl, and so talking about menstruation and wearing bras was so uncomfortable. Once he reached junior high school, wearing a skirt for his school uniform had been agony. He himself could not understand what felt wrong that, eventually, he could not stand to go to school anymore.

　There was one time when he learned about gender dysphoria from TV, and then it clicked. "Maybe I am a boy," he thought. "I want to get a diagnosis from the hospital," he told his mother, Miyuki (59), who accepted Takamasa as he got diagnosed with GID. She had also negotiated to let Takamasa wear the boys' uniform to school. Even before, she had a thought that maybe Takamasa was really a boy. When he came out to her, she wanted him to live a comfortable life. She decided that she would stand by him always.

　They gained the school's approval with the assistance of the school nurse. He could wear the boys' uniform and was allowed to use the faculty washroom. He also changed his name into a more masculine name, Takamasa.

Coming out in a speech contest

It definitely takes courage to speak up about one's discomfort regarding their gender. There are many people carrying painful memories of not being accepted by their loved ones. Takamasa was able to find a place he belonged to because of the support of his family, school, and friends.

　After several months, he entered a speech contest in a part-time high school in Kawasaki city. There he revealed his new name and spoke about gender dysphoria in his speech entitled "My Identity" to an audience of 700 people. He received a huge round of applause and won the contest.

　At that time, movie director Miyuki Tokoi (54) had thought of making Takamasa the central figure for a new film. She went ahead and asked him. Even for Miyuki Tokoi herself, she had continued living without fitting in a society where there was something off about what people deemed "normal." She said, "I thought if we looked through the lens of gender, then wouldn't you also ask what "normal" is?"

Changing the ending of the movie

Takamasa started his hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in high school. At the age of 20, he had saved up the money from his part-time job and got his name officially changed in the family register. He immediately underwent gender reassignment surgery and became legally recognized as a man.

　Initially, the movie was supposed to end with Takamasa changing his name and starting to work towards his dream to be a voice actor. However, as he walked through his new life, he realized that even living as a man, he felt a sense of discomfort.

　Takamasa said, "I've always thought that there were only two genders, man and woman. I thought, if I was not a woman, then I must be a man." However, turning his body to become more masculine was something he had not wished for. Even though he was able to get into voice acting school, he still felt uncomfortable about how roles were split up and decided according to gender.

　So, the movie ended with a "to be continued." It also features a 78-year-old trans musician, a divorcee who was still questioning their gender identity, and a non-binary (X-gender) person. Takamasa, along with the rest of the cast, is searching for a way to truly live as themselves. That is how the conclusion of the movie came to be.

Is the construct of gender truly necessary?

　As Takamasa's life changed course, so did the plot of the movie. Many of the people whom Tokoi interviewed said, "Isn't gender a spectrum?" "Is it possible to remove gender as a category?" Even the title「すべての出発点であり、最後に戻るところでもある」(lit. All Points of Departure Lead Back to Somewhere in the End) had been thoughtfully changed.

　How did Takamasa himself feel about the changes in the movie? When asked, he revealed, "Up until junior high, I hated myself. I also had thoughts of wanting to die." He thought it was irrational that he could not move forward if he could not resolve the troubles he had with his body, while his classmates were naturally thinking about their future careers and paths in life.

　However, watching the completed film made him look back on his life. "Every moment, even during the times I was worried, I lived as best as I could." He pats himself on the back. He can live with the body he has now. He has not given up on using his voice as his main body of work. The movie also became his narration debut.

From time to time, the film captures Tokoi interviewing Takamasa. "Right now, are you happy? Do you like yourself?" Takamasa made many downcast glances as he answered the questions. In the end, the camera panned to his face and his answer was...

　The movie has been completed for about a year now and has had independent screenings in various places. In November 2019, NHK and BS1 broadcasted a shorter and edited TV documentary called 「僕が性別“ゼロ”になった理由」(lit. The Reason My Gender Became "Zero"). It elicited quite a reaction.

　General screenings will show in Uplink Shibuya from July 24. They are aiming to hit the theatres nationwide but will continuously have independent screenings. They also have an edition for educational purposes.

Visit (https://konomi.work/) for more information.

Source: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20200723/k00/00m/040/182000c

Testing negative on COVID-19 antibody tests does not mean approved for work

There have been reports of a COVID-19 outbreak in a theater in Shinjuku. According to the reports, one of the performers was not feeling well, but since they tested negative on a COVID-19 antibody test, they performed anyway. The antibody test helps decide whether someone is infected by checking how the body’s immune system reacts to the pathogen. It takes time to create antibodies after getting infected, so it is easy to get a false negative when someone is in the early stages of infection. Therefore, people should not take antibody tests as the only solid proof that they are negative for COVID-19.


　However, that is not always the case for infectious diseases. For example, antibody tests are usually used to determine if someone is infected with the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Although someone will contract acute hepatitis after being infected by HCV , dying with that alone is very rare. The primary concerns for Hepatitis C are: it can evolve from acute to chronic hepatitis; liver cells can slowly deteriorate and develop cirrhosis; and, liver cells can become cancerous.


　A usual test is conducted in order to find the cause of the symptoms. However, there are almost no symptoms for chronic hepatitis that can be confirmed through self-examination alone. For that reason, screening tests are conducted where people with no symptoms are tested and may be found positive with the virus. Screening tests are an easy and cost-effective way to test a large number of people.


　A PCR test can also be used to check for HCV, but for those who do not have the symptoms, the fee that comes with the PCR test can be quite expensive. With only the antibody test, lab technicians can find people who have a higher chance of being infected. If someone tests positive, they have to go through a more thorough examination and get a PCR test. People can still test positive on an antibody test after recovering from the virus, but a thorough check-up can determine whether they have been infected again. For screening tests, there is only a certain degree of false positives that can be allowed.


　Now that there is a cure for chronic hepatitis C, it has become a treatable disease. For those who have never taken a hepatitis test before, it is recommended to at least get tested once in a lifetime. There are many local governments that have subsidized costs for testing. However, right now, the spread of COVID-19 is still rampant, so it is advisable to get tested after the pandemic has died down.


A PCR test will be conducted first for HCV if there is a demand for higher safety precautions like the ones used in blood transfusion. However, if it is a screening test for Hepatitis B, an antigen test will be used. After considering the distinct characteristics of different diseases and tests, an appropriate test must be used that fits its specific purpose.


Source: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN7K42WZN7KUBQU001.html?iref=com_apitop

What Is the LGBT Discrimination Ban for? The issue on same-sex couples who cannot only get their proof of partnership, but also cannot rent municipal housing

In October 2018, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government adopted the ordinance on banning discrimination against the LGBT+ in accordance to the Tokyo Olympic Charter, which aims to protect human rights. For a major prefecture, implementing the ordinance, which declares a ban on LGBT discrimination for the first time, is ground-breaking. The ordinance might have stipulated a ban against LGBT discrimination, but there remains an inconsistency. Even now, many LGBT citizens still cannot obtain their proof of partnership. They are still unable to live together under municipal housing. Concerned citizens and experts have voiced their disappointment over poor implementation.


Seiko Kazawa, who is living with her girlfriend of the same age in Kodaira City, said, "We are not recognized as a family, so we hit a lot of walls. One of them is not having the option to rent municipal housing." This is their 13th year of living together. They were looking to get into municipal housing when they were moving out, but once they understood that they could not do it because they were a lesbian couple, they gave up on it.


Recently, applying for a joint credit card has also felt like another roadblock. The local government has issued instructions on how to get the proof of partnership, but since Kodaira City does not have the partnership system in place, the documents that prove their relationship and their status as a family are under investigation. "We wouldn't have to go through this kind of trouble, if we were a heterosexual couple, or if the government had the partnership system properly in place." Ms. Kazawa said.

The prefectures of Ibaraki and Osaka have already introduced the same system. July 1st will mark the first year since the partnership system began in Ibaraki. Since then, 33 same-sex couples went under oath. The number of municipalities that take care of LGBT families when moving into public housing has increased to 21. The number of hospitals that allow signing waivers for surgeries and such has also increased to 28. Because of its implementation, the circle of understanding widens, together with the government and its people.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government ordinance, as the name suggests, was established because Tokyo is the host city of the Olympics. During the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Russia prohibited any public expression of the LGBT community and established a ban against 'homosexual propaganda.' Because of these, the leaders of every Western country criticized Russia and boycotted the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Moreover, they included the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation into the Olympics Charter. (From then on, the host city must put policies in place that will eliminate discrimination against LGBT people.)

The ordinance clearly states that, "any government official, citizen, and worker, should not be treated unjustly because of their gender identity and/or sexual orientation." The basic premise may be to spread awareness and to encourage understanding of LGBT issues. However, the administration offers no help or countermeasures, even though the Human Rights Division has a consultation counter. Regarding same-sex couples moving into municipal housing, the section manager replied that "it was still under examination."

The same-sex partnership system was brought up in the Metropolitan General Affairs Committee meeting last March. The head of the Human Rights Division repeated that "issues on marriage require an extensive debate," and showed signs of reluctance regarding the system.


Workers in Tokyo are demanding the government for equal rights to employee benefits and adopting the same employee welfare policies that places like Chiba City and Setagaya District established for those who have already obtained their proof of partnership.

An expert on discrimination ban laws and the deputy chief researcher from the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, Shinobu Naitou emphasized, "Public awareness and discussions are important, but we can't have that as the only basis to pass the ordinance on banning discrimination. Being able to air grievances and having an action plan with the guidance and order of the administration are needed."

Ms. Kazawa has been serving as a director for the non-profit organization called "Rainbow Community" (coLLabo), which is an organization for lesbians and queer women, for more than 10 years. In the recent years, while LGBT issues have been more visible, and evaluating the policies introduced to address the hardships of the community is possible, there are still more things to work on. "If Tokyo brings about change, its influence will be huge. I want to change our education regarding LGBT issues. Please listen more to the voices of the LGBT community," Ms. Kazawa said.

The Tokyo prefectural governor election is on July 5. Please vote for the next prefectural governor who will support the partnership system and implement equal municipal housing.

Source: https://www.outjapan.co.jp/lgbtcolumn_news/news/2020/7/2.html