TOKYO -- A Japanese court on Tuesday ruled it is "unconstitutional" for the nation not to legally recognize same-sex unions, a mark of progress for LGBTQ rights in the only Group of Seven country without legal protections for sexual minorities.
In a case brought by a male same-sex couple against the state, the Nagoya District Court in central Japan ruled that the country's lack of marriage equality violates the constitution's Article 14, Clause 1, which enshrines the right to equality, and Article 24, Clause 2, which states that marriage should be based on "individual dignity and the essential equality of the sexes."
