Same-Sex Japanese Dating Reality Show ‘The Boyfriend’ Renewed by Netflix as Court Rules Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional
variety.comNaman Ramachandran Netflix has greenlit a second season of its groundbreaking Japanese same-sex dating reality series “The Boyfriend,” following the show’s impressive performance both domestically and internationally.
The timing of Netflix’s renewal announcement couldn’t have been more appropriate. The Associated Press reported on Friday that a high court in Fukuoka, Japan ruled the country’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, marking the eighth such ruling out of nine cases since 2019.
The decision, which found that the ban violates citizens’ constitutional right to pursue happiness, adds pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s minority government to act on marriage equality.
Japan currently stands as the only G7 nation that doesn’t legally recognize same-sex marriages or provide legally binding protections for LGBTQ+ couples.
