Kishida Aide Says He Hates Seeing LGBT People
Tokyo, Feb. 3 (Jiji Press)--Masayoshi Arai, secretary to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, said Friday that he hates the sight of LGBT people, and he later withdrew the comments.
"I hate the sight of them and hate seeing them live next door," Arai said in off-the-record remarks to reporters, referring to LGBT people and gay couples. "Some people flee the country if same-sex marriage is introduced," he said.
At the same time, Arai said, "We need to support LGBT people."
Arai's comments may draw a public backlash if they are taken as discriminatory.
He apologized for the comments when he withdrew them. "I used expressions that could cause misunderstanding. I'm very sorry," Arai said.
(2023/02/04-01:30)
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