After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled for marriage equality, everyone expected countries around the world to follow suit. Few have.
A court ruling today in Japan, however, may lead to marriage equality in that country. The Sapporo District Court ruled that failure to recognize same-sex marriages is unconstitutional.
In its decision, the court wrote that since sexuality is not a matter of preference, denying same-sex couples the same rights as opposite-sex couples is unconstitutional.
The lawsuit was brought by three couples that each sued for 1 million yen (under $10,000) for psychological damage caused by the government’s refusal to let them marry.