The Impact of Sexual Minorities on Family Structure in Japan
Document Type
Panel Presentation
Keywords
Japan, family, homosexuality
Biography
Chloe Litzenberger is a senior at Marshall University. She is 22 years old seeking a BA in Japanese language. Some of her interests include Japanese culture and discussions of the rights of LGBTQ+ members
Major
Japanese
Advisor for this project
Natsuki Anderson
Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the traditional family structure in Japan and see how sexual minorities are challenging these ideas. As a result of increased visibility of various gender and sexual identities, new ideas of what a family should look like have emerged within Japanese society. Currently, same-sex couples are not given the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. And while it should be noted that some progress has been made since 2015, as a select few cities offer symbolic "partnership certificates" to recognize the relationships of same-sex couples. Changes in legal and social understandings of homosexual people are necessary in order to overcome problematic views on their ability to create and raise a family. This presentation seeks to address the question: How do sexual minorities challenge how families are formed in Japan, and what are the reactions to these changes?
The Impact of Sexual Minorities on Family Structure in Japan
The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the traditional family structure in Japan and see how sexual minorities are challenging these ideas. As a result of increased visibility of various gender and sexual identities, new ideas of what a family should look like have emerged within Japanese society. Currently, same-sex couples are not given the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. And while it should be noted that some progress has been made since 2015, as a select few cities offer symbolic "partnership certificates" to recognize the relationships of same-sex couples. Changes in legal and social understandings of homosexual people are necessary in order to overcome problematic views on their ability to create and raise a family. This presentation seeks to address the question: How do sexual minorities challenge how families are formed in Japan, and what are the reactions to these changes?
