Japan Brings in Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Ahead of 2020 Olympics

Tokyo has brought in an anti-discrimination ordinance to protect LGBT+ people ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games, reports the Japan Times.

The policy will regulate public spaces and prevent anti-LGBT+ groups from gathering or promoting hate speech. It will also improve hospital access for same-sex couples.

The aim of the ordinance is to bring Tokyo in line with the fundamental Olympic principles, which state: “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in the Olympic Charter shall be secured without discrimination of any kind, such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”

The ordinance was backed by Hirotaka Motohashi of Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First), “We can’t wait for the central government (to introduce such steps) as its timeline remains vague,” he said, promising that sexual minorities’ equal rights will become a legacy of the 2020 Games.