February 17, 2023
To: Minister in charge of Gender Equality Masanobu Ogura
Request for the G7 Ministerial Meeting to include LGBTQ Initiatives on the Agenda
Calling organizations (in Japanese syllabary order)
Japan Alliance for Legislation to Remove Social Barriers based on Sexual Orientation
and Gender Identity
Marriage For All Japan - Freedom of Marriage for All
work with Pride
Calling individuals (in Japanese syllabary order)
Moriaki Kida (EY Japan Chairperson and CEO, EY Japan Regional Managing Partner)
Patrick Jordan (Vice President Human Resources, Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited)
Yasu Higuchi (Chief Executive Officer, Panasonic Connect Co., Ltd.)
Shigeki Mishima (Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
Ryosuke Mori (Representative Director and President, LIFENET INSURANCE COMPANY)
Seiji Yasubuchi (Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, AXA Life Insurance Co., Ltd.)I. Request
We would like to make the following request for the G7 Ministerial Meeting to be heldin June of this year.
Lead the discussion on LGBTQ+ initiatives at the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Gender
Equality and Women's Empowerment and put forward further commitments topromote specific initiatives as the G7 Ministerial Meeting.
The implementation of measures to ensure that LGBTQ people are not left out in allareas, after the development of LGBTQ-related laws such as enactment of antidiscrimination laws, marriage equality (legalization of same-sex marriage), and review
of legal requirements for gender reassignment, is an expression of the importance thateach country places on each and every person who makes up its society. It is imperativethat such efforts be promoted for the maintenance and development of businesses,
nations, and the international community.
Considering the current situation surrounding LGBTQ+ issues, we call for the G7Hiroshima Summit and the G7 Ministerial Meeting to elevate working on LGBTQ+issues as an international community to one of the main points of discussion and tomake further commitments to promote specific initiatives.

1II. Reason for Request
1.

G7 Elmau Summit Leaders' Declaration

At the G7 Elmau Summit held in Germany last June, the following Leaders' Declaration
was issued:
We reaffirm our full commitment to a sustained focus on realising equality between
women and men as well as transgender and non-binary people, and to ensuring thateveryone – independent of their gender identity or expression or sexual orientation – has
the same opportunities and is protected against discrimination and violence. To this end,
we commit to redoubling our efforts to overcome longstanding structural barriers and toaddressing harmful gender norms, stereotypes, roles, and practices. We seek to ensure
full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in all their diversity as wellas LGBTIQ+ persons in politics, economics, education and all other spheres of society,and to consistently mainstream gender equality into all policy areas.
We reaffirm our full commitment to achieve comprehensive SRHR of all individuals,and stress the importance of access to emergency sexual and reproductive healthservices in humanitarian crises. (…) We recognise the essential and transformative roleof SRHR in gender equality and women's and girls' empowerment, and in supporting
diversity, including of sexual orientations and gender identities.
In order to "ensure that everyone is protected against discrimination and violence",
countries need to develop LGBTQ legislation and then work on measures to ensure
LGBTQ inclusion in all areas.
2.

Status of development of LGBTQ legislation in each country

In this regard, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 80
countries around the world prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender
identity in the area of employment. In addition, 33 countries and regions have achieved
marriage equality (legalization of same-sex marriage). Furthermore, according to theTGEU, 28 countries in Europe and Central Asia do not have a "sterility requirement"
for changing one's legal gender, and an increasing number of countries outside Europe
are eliminating such requirements.
Japan is the only G7 country that does not have anti-discrimination laws for LGBTQ,
does not legally protect the relationship of same-sex couples, and imposes inhumanerequirements such as "sterility requirements" when changing the legal gender. Japan's
LGBTQ legislation development ranks 34th out of 35 OECD countries (OECD Survey2020).
3. Reasons for requesting LGBTQ initiatives from the business community2

A company has many stakeholders, including employees, business partners, customers,
and shareholders, and it is essential for the maintenance and development of thecompany that the dignity and equality of each and every individual is ensured.
In particular, a lack of legal stability in the working environment and private lives ofemployees can have a negative impact on their mental health (The Japanese
government's "Japan's Suicide Prevention Strategy" points out the high risk of suicidal
ideation among sexual minorities, with the percent of suicide attempts 6 times higher
among homosexuals and bisexuals and 10 times higher among transgender individuals
than cisgender heterosexuals.). In addition to hindering the ability of employees toexercise their abilities in the workplace, there is already a concern about an exodus ofhuman resources to countries with better legal systems.
Moreover, the lack of LGBTQ+ related legislation is a hindrance to accepting highly
skilled personnel and their families from abroad for Japanese businesses. The proposal"Moving Towards the Realization of a Diversity and Inclusive Society" published by
the Japan Business Federation on May 16, 2017 states that developing an environmentand system that encourages the understanding of LGBT people and recognizes a diverse
workforce is essential to (1) attract a wide range of human resources and reduce
retirement, (2) improve productivity by creating a comfortable work environment, (3)improve corporate brand value, and (4) avoid legal risks and protect employees' humanrights.

3

Calling Businesses (in Japanese syllabary order, as of February 17, 2023)
AXA Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.
EY Japan
MSD K.K.
Dentsu Group Inc.
Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited
Panasonic Connect Co., Ltd.
Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Fujitsu Limited
Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation
LIFENET INSURANCE COMPANY
LUSH JAPAN G.K.
Robert Walters Japan K.K.
Calling Organizations (in Japanese syllabary order, as of February 17, 2023)
LLAN, Lawyers for LGBT & Allies Network4