Kanako Otsuji, who came out in 2005 and said her political aspirations were “inspired by the pain and isolation of the five years it took her to accept that she was a lesbian,” lost her election bid for a seat in Japan’s upper house on Monday.
Reuters reports: “Kanako Otsuji, 32, backed by the main opposition Democratic Party, had campaigned in front of rainbow-coloured flags, with loudspeakers declaring to passers-by she was a lesbian…She had vowed to promote a more diverse society and seek laws to prohibit discrimination, including against sexual minorities, and had planned to introduce a bill legalising same-sex marriage.”
Said Otsuji to supporters: “I hope to continue until I see the day that we look back and say, ‘This is a historic day in the history of sexual minorities.’We will remember this day because it is the day we grew stronger.”
