Naha becomes second city to declare support for LGBTs

June 19, 2015 Ryukyu Shimpo　

Naha will become the second administrative region in Japan to declare support for sexual minorities, also known as LGBT, following Yodogawa District in Osaka. Naha city will make a “City LGBT Support Declaration” on July 19. With the declaration, Naha city aims to publicly promote itself as a prefectural capital that actively supports diversity and awareness about LGBT issues.

The declaration will be made at the Pink Dot Okinawa event at the Tenbusu Square in Makishi, Naha. Naha City has been co-hosting the event since 2013, while actively engaging in promoting awareness of the LGBT population such as hosting workshops targeting Naha citizens since 2000.

The declaration will also be made in writing. It aims to take tangible steps towards improving awareness around LGBT issues, such as holding workshops for city officers as well as opening a counseling corner. The steps further aim to build a structure in which LGBT people and their families feel comfortable in sharing their experiences with the government, and in having a community that is more aware of them. A representative of the Naha City Government emphasized the importance of the declaration; “We hope this declaration will lead to build a society where individual citizens can understand one another.”

(English translation by T&CT and Sayaka Sakuma)

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