Kagoshima city implements the LGBT partnership system

Article by Minori Kiwaki

　Kagoshima city announced that they will be implementing the partnership oath system in 2021, which will officially acknowledge the relationships of LGBT couples. As the partnership system is slowly being introduced to different parts of the country, Ibusuki city from the same prefecture as Kagoshima is also planning to implement the system in April.

　Kagoshima city mayor Takao Shimozuru revealed the plan in a press conference on January 29. This system is for couples who are living or planning to move to the city and cannot get married with the present marriage system. Couples have to be 20 years of age or older, which is the legal age defined by the civil law. Couples will have to submit a written oath that they are partners for life, cooperating and sharing responsibilities. Once it is submitted, the city will issue a receipt. The oath is not legally binding; however, the city is still in the process of granting the same rights common law couples have to partnership couples, like living together in municipal housing. The city is aiming to set the general guidelines and to implement its early stages after asking the public its opinion in the first couple of weeks of March.

　The council also decided to remove gender entry fields in official documents from 2019 in consideration of gender minorities. However, the LGBT faction of the city council presented their respective concerns since there might be backlash and harmful content that could come up against the LGBT community. The city is working with experts and the community as they debate and review the system's implementation. The Kagoshima Human Rights Office Spokesperson said, "We took into consideration those who have to go through the difficulty of explaining their identities and relationships."

　Mayor Shimozuru commented in the press conference, "We have to respect the gender minorities and I hope that the LGBT community could live more comfortably." (Minori Kiwaki)

Source: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASP226Q3NP1YTLTB00S.html