The Fukuoka District Court will hand down a ruling on the 5th in a class action lawsuit filed by same-sex couples suing the government in five locations nationwide on the grounds that the fact that same-sex marriage is not recognized violates the Constitution. Until now, judgments in various places have shown judgments such as unconstitutional violations and unconstitutional status, and it will be interesting to see if the judgment on the 8th will follow suit.

In 2019, same-sex couples filed class-action lawsuits in five courts nationwide seeking compensation from the state, claiming that they violated the Constitution, which stipulates freedom of marriage and equality before the law, regarding provisions such as the Civil Code that does not allow same-sex marriage.

Of these, the Fukuoka District Court is scheduled to hand down the judgment of three couples living in Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures at 5 a.m. on the 3th, and the judgment of the first trial filed that year will be issued.

While the government argued in court that same-sex marriage is not envisaged in the Constitution, the Sapporo District Court and the Nagoya District Court clearly ruled that the rulings in various regions were "unconstitutional," and the Tokyo District Court also pointed out that the absence of a legal system for becoming a family with a same-sex partner was "unconstitutional."

In addition, the Osaka District Court, which ruled it "constitutional," also mentioned that it could violate the Constitution in the future depending on changes in social conditions.

The plaintiffs believe that both rulings will provide a tailwind for the country to take new legislative action.

Under these circumstances, it will be interesting to see what kind of judgment the Fukuoka District Court will present.

Plaintiff Masahiro and others Grassroots activities outside of the trial

Masahiro (3) and Kosuke (35) of Fukuoka City, two of the three plaintiffs in the lawsuit, began dating in 33 after an acquaintance introduced them and are currently living together in a house in the city.

However, due to the lack of legal marriage status, they could not make a loan in a joint name when buying a house, and they could not be dependent, so they spend their days feeling various restrictions compared to male and female couples.

Masahiro commented on the fact that same-sex marriage is not recognized, saying, "I feel as if we are being treated as if we do not exist in society, and I am worried that the happiness we feel now will be destroyed immediately because we cannot provide legal remedies if one of us is sick or has an accident."

In order to widely publicize the current situation of same-sex couples and the thoughts of the parties involved, the two continue their grassroots activities outside of the trial.

In April, the two participated in an event in Fukuoka City to exchange views with people interested in issues surrounding same-sex marriage.

At the event, all participants decided to write a letter to the parliamentarian and appeal for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

About two weeks later, the two visited the Diet Hall in Nagatacho, Tokyo, along with lawyers and supporters, and visited about 2017 parliamentary offices.

Neither office had direct meetings with the legislators, but they were able to give the secretary a letter and tell her about their fears about the future and the legalization of same-sex marriage.

In some cases, they were refused to visit, saying, "We do not accept exchanges of opinions."

After his activities in Tokyo, Masahiro said, "It takes a lot of effort to convey opinions to legislators who are not in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, but I thought it was important to continue without giving up."

Mr. Kosuke said, "We are living in this society, so I wanted our voices to be heard and work on policies.