78-year-old Masateru Shiraishi of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has faced criticism after claiming his north Tokyo ward would ‘no longer exist’ if LGBTQ+ people had legal protections.
According to reports from the Japan Times, Shiraishi asked “this is impossible, but if all Japanese women were lesbian or all Japanese men were gay, then do you think the next generation would be born?” at an assembly session of Tokyo’s Adachi ward.
He said this during a conversation about falling birth rates in Japan.He also added: “I do not intend to interfere in the life of someone who is lesbian or gay.
But, getting married, having children and raising them in a normal way is very important for people.” His remarks have sparked backlash from.