Japan Eyes Multilayered Approach to Promote LGBT Awareness

Tokyo, June 1 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government plans to promote public knowledge about gender and sexual diversity through a multilayered approach in its first basic program designed to promote understanding of LGBT people and other sexual minorities, a draft showed Monday.

The government presented the draft program to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which approved it the same day. It plans to adopt the program at a cabinet meeting as early as this month.

The draft program calls for raising awareness through schools, local communities, households and workplaces, noting that some sexual minorities "experience confusion, anxiety and difficulties in daily life due to insufficient public understanding."

It attributes the limited awareness to a lack of a sense of ownership, as many people do not regard sexual minorities as relevant to them.

The draft program calls for promoting academic research, disseminating accurate information and strengthening consultation systems to address insufficient public awareness.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]