ALBAWABA - Homophobic remarks made by a top aide of the Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida concerning sexual minorities is causing much dismay among the country's population.
Although the top aide Masayoshi Arai was subsequently sacked by Kishida, the remarks made against members of the LGBT community last Friday is seen as unacceptable, derogatory and outrageous.
Japan PM Fumio Kishida sacks top aide over discriminatory remarks on LGBT https://t.co/Daj4VeiYG4
— ABZ (@Absaar2001) February 4, 2023
Arai was speaking off-the-record to the Japanese media, telling reporters that he wouldn't like it if an LGBT couple lived next door and he "doesn't even want to look at them". But then some journalists couldn't but help leak the comments.
Japan PM to sack top aide over anti-LGBT comments. Kishida told reporters at his official residence that the comments made by Arai "cannot but force" the Cabinet to consider his future, calling remarks totally unacceptable and incompatible with the policies of his administration.
— burini kevin. (@bukev212) February 4, 2023
Arai, a top aide to the prime minister seconded from the Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, added sanctioning gay marriages would go against Japan's traditional family structure.
Masayoshi Arai, the sacked Kishida's aide, asked journalists to stop recording and not to report what he was going to say before making homophobic remarks, which eventually led him to resign from the post.https://t.co/NvZlBd7hL9
— Thoton Akimoto / ソトン秋元 (@AkimotoThn) February 4, 2023
He added if gay marriages were sanctioned many would leave the country, pointing out "there are quite a few people who would abandon this country."
Top aide to PM Kishida, Masayoshi Arai, makes discriminatory remarks toward LGBTQ, same sex marriage, saying he “hates even to see them” Ugh … https://t.co/x9jVm5vQ6O
— 和 田 浩 明💉4/ H i r o W a d a #現場に感謝 (@spearsden) February 3, 2023
However, Japan's Prime Minister soon tried to dampen things down. "Executive secretary Arai's remarks totally contradict the government's policy and are inexcusable," said prime minister Kishida. Later on Arai apologized for the comments and said they were purely personal but this didn't stop his dismissal.
