Urasoe city council passes the "Sexual and Gender Diversity Ordinance"

    Urasoe, Okinawa -- The Urasoe city council made a unanimous vote on Tuesday to pass the "Inclusion of Sexual and Gender Diversity in Society Ordinance," which includes the same-sex partnership system and etc. The first bylaw specializing in sexual and gender diversity in the prefecture came into effect on October 1.

    The basic principle of the "Inclusion of Sexual and Gender Diversity in Society Ordinance" is to eliminate social prejudice and discrimination against gender and sexual minorities and to promote respect and understanding of sexual and gender diversity. This is to celebrate everyone's freedom of expression and uniqueness without the fear of discrimination and allow them to make lifestyle choices on their own terms. This ordinance will protect LGBT folks from harassment and prevent outing incidents.

　It also places the responsibility on the city and the employers to create a safe work environment for sexual and gender minorities. Meanwhile for the education system, it demands to incorporate a curriculum that promotes awareness and respect for gender and sexual diversity. Furthermore, it includes the "partnership system" that considers relationships of same-sex couples as married couples. Naha is the second city in Okinawa to introduce the partnership system. The detailed guidelines of the system will be put into law soon.

　Urasoe Mayor Matsumoto has always been an ally to the LGBT community. He visited and gave a speech at a gay volleyball competition. (Almost every year, he goes to Pink Dot Okinawa to show his support.) In January 2017, he issued the "Rainbow City Urasoe Announcement'' and promoted LGBT-related seminars. In October 2017, he also sought the cooperation of the University of Ryukyus, Graduate School of Law, and organizations in support for sexual and gender diversity, to formulate regulations and policies. Ryudai Graduate School of Law submitted a draft of the "Inclusion of Sexual/Gender Diversity in Society Ordinance'' in February 2019. The city aimed to implement it in the spring of 2020. However, some organizations signed a petition against it, so the mayor had to postpone its implementation. (More information on this story from Pink Dot Okinawa 2020 Online) The proposal's delay is only temporary. From the results of surveys and workshops, the city saw an increasing trend of support for sexual and gender diversity. The city council finally submitted the proposal in February 2021.

　After all those ups and downs, this time, the council voted unanimously to pass the ordinance. What a relief! To Mayor Matsumoto and the Urasoe citizens, thank you for your zeal and hard work.

References:

Urasoe city council, the first to pass the "Sexual and Gender Diversity Ordinance" in Okinawa (Ryukyu Shimpo)
https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-1291310.html

Urasoe city passes the first sexual and gender diversity ordinance in Okinawa (Okinawa Times)
https://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/725967

Source: https://www.outjapan.co.jp/lgbtcolumn_news/news/2021/3/27.html