Japan PM Kishida Fires Aide Over Same-Sex Comments

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday fired an aide who said he wouldn't want to live next to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender couples.

Kishida said in remarks; "His comments are outrageous and completely incompatible with the administration's policies."

The Japanese leader said he had dismissed Masayoshi Arai, who had earlier apologised for the "misleading" comments.

Arai's comments comes after Kishida said in parliament that same-sex marriage needed careful consideration because of its potential impact on the family structure.

In a survey published by NHK in July 2021, two months before Kishida became prime minister, 57% of 1,508 respondents said they supported the legal recognition of same-sex unions.

In November, a Tokyo court also upheld a ban on same-sex marriage, but also said a lack of legal protection for same-sex families violated their human rights.