![]() Sosuke Matsuoka, an LGBTQ+ activist who was at the event, said he got teary listening to Atae’s words. LGBTQ+ activists and supporters welcomed Atae’s announcement as a big encouragement for the community in Japan. "I hope people who are struggling with the same feeling will find courage and know they are not alone.” Lawmaker Taiga Ishikawa is Japan’s first openly gay parliamentarian.Ītae posted on Instagram that admitting his sexuality took a long time and he worried he might be shunned from society and lose his career if he acknowledged being gay.īut, he overcame many of those struggles and realized "it is better, both for me and for the people I care about, including my fans, to accept who I truly am and tell you so," Atae said. Popular singer and personality Ai Haruna is a transgender woman who rose to fame in 2009 as the first Japanese to win Thailand’s Miss International Queen, a beauty pageant for transgender women. In Japan, where LGBTQ+ people still face discrimination in schools, workplaces and elsewhere, few public figures have come out. Activists have increased their efforts to achieve an anti-discrimination law, but parliament in June passed a significantly weaker alternative that promotes awareness of sexual minorities without providing legal protections. ![]() The political party that has governed Japan for most of its postwar history is known for its conservatism and many lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party oppose equal rights. He's been based in Los Angeles lately and is pursuing a solo career in the United States.Ītae’s revelation comes at a time of increased awareness and support for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Japan. ![]() “I am a gay man.”Īs he choked up, fans cheered, saying “hang in there!” and applauding.Ītae performed for 15 years in the hugely popular group AAA before it went on a hiatus in 2020. But now after all I have been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you about something,” he said. “For years, I struggled to accept a part of myself. Perhaps some of you may need time to understand,” Atae told fans at the event in Tokyo on Wednesday. “What I’m going to tell you now may not be something you expect or hope to hear. "I am 200% supportive," Atae's mother told the press after her son's very public disclosure, the outlet reports.TOKYO (AP) - Japanese pop star Shinjiro Atae said he is gay in an emotional announcement at a fan event that was warmly welcomed in a country where the government does not legally recognize LGBTQ equality. No entertainer of a stature and popularity have out as queer in Japan and after his announcement, fans applauded, reports LGBTQ Nation. "I don't want people to struggle like me," he continued. But now, after all I have been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you about something. "For years, I struggled to accept a part of myself. "I respect you and believe you deserve to hear this directly from me," said the 34-year-old Atae. Speaking Wednesday evening to a crowd of about 2,000 of his fans in an auditorium in central Tokyo, Atae revealed he is gay. MANILA, Philippines - Japanese pop idol Shinjiro Atae has come out as gay in a public announcement that is unusual in conservative Japan, where same-sex unions are not legal. Atae said he is gay in an emotional announcement at a fan event Wednesday, July 26, 2023, that was warmly welcomed in a country where the government does not recognize LGBTQ equality. ![]() Japanese pop star Shijiro Atae, rear center, poses with others during an announcement for a year-end TV music show in Tokyo on Nov.
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