In a special briefing held in July, legal experts, scholars, and advocates, came together to discuss LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality developments in Japan. The event was sponsored by Goodsill, Hawaiʻi LGBT Legal Association, Pacific-Asian Legal Studies at the Richardson School of Law, and the Hawai’i State Bar Association.
Highlighting the briefing was keynote speaker and attorney Makiko Terahara, of Tokyo Omotesando Law & Accounting LPC. Terahara shed light on key issues and the legal and political complexities surrounding same-sex marriage and civil rights in Japan. She spoke of two of the most significant constitutional gender equality litigation projects in Japan today: marriage equality and selective choice of surname in marriage. In ongoing litigation challenging the unconstitutionality of not recognizing same-sex marriages, her advocacy has led to successful challenges in several court decisions.
The event served to facilitate awareness of these issues and underscored a commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue within the legal community.
