Japanese lesbian couple granted refugee status in Canada

A Japanese lesbian couple has been granted refugee status in Canada after enduring discrimination in Japan.

Key points:

• Eri, aged in her 30s, and Hana, in her 50s, got married in Canada in 2019 but faced discrimination upon their return to Japan.
• Canada said it recognized the lack of legal marriage protections for same-sex couples and the risk of persecution in Japan.
• The couple moved together to Canada in 2021 and were granted refugee status in Sept. 2023.

The details:

• While Japan has local partnership systems for same-sex couples, it still doesn’t have national marriage equality. LGBTQ+ rights advocates say social acceptance lags behind legal progress in Japan.
• Hana and Eri said they faced workplace discrimination and social stigma in the country. The couple sought refugee status by submitting a 200-page document to Canada detailing their experiences with discrimination. They underwent a series of interviews and public hearings before their applications were approved.
• In granting the request, Canada cited the U.N. Committee’s report on widespread discrimination against women and sexual minorities in Japan.
• The women, who now have permanent resident status in Canada, said they decided to share their experiences to raise awareness about the challenges of the LGBTQ+ community in Japan.

Tangent:

• Ironically, Japan granted asylum to a lesbian woman from Uganda in 2023.