Mr Gay Japan Daiki Yoshioka opens up about the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in his country
A post shared by MR GAY JAPAN (@mrgayjapan)When asked if his friends and family were supportive of his participation in Mr Gay Japan, Daiki said, “Although my parents and friends were shocked when I announced my participation in the pageant, they came to understand my rationale and showed support at the end.
Some of my friends didn’t know that I was gay as I didn’t publicly come out, but some sent me very heart-warming messages to show their support, and it was sweet.”Daiki added that a number of people, whom he thought were friends, silently unfollowed him on social media after, but he handled this well, sharing, “In short, I think it was a good opportunity to identify and say goodbye to “fake friends” and be thankful to my genuine friends who chose to stay in my network to support me.”For Daiki, the most challenging thing about being a gay man living in Japan has been growing up with the rigid heteronormativity “due to the Japanese proclivity for homogeneity.” Same-sex marriage has yet to be legalised in Japan, and heterosexual relationships are still celebrated as the normality.Nearly all street advertisements feature heterosexual couples, and if Daiki is shopping for a ring or any accessory for himself, he frequently gets asked if he is shopping for his girlfriend.Daiki says that he’s always felt like a bit of an outcast growing up in a heterosexual culture.
He said, “Even now, I sometimes feel it is extremely challenging to find a partner and get married. I am fortunate to have befriended queer folks and have gotten to know a good number of same-sex couples to feel less isolated.”Thinking of young people living in Japan, Daiki said, “I aspire to raise awareness of places and resources that the youth can take advantage of, to feel more hopeful to live in Japan.”LGBTQ+ rights have not changed significantly in Japan during Daiki’s lifetime.
