In a historic decision in the country, the Supreme Court of Japan handed down, this Tuesday (11), a verdict favorable to a civil servant who sued the local government for restricting her access, a trans woman, to the restrooms in her workplace.
Justice classified this measure as unacceptable, marking a significant advance for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in Japan.
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In Japan, people LGBTQIA+ have few rights. It is the only country in the G7, which brings together some of the world's leading economies, that does not recognize the right to same-sex union.
Given this scenario, the decision of the Supreme Court gains even greater weight, representing an important step in the fight for equality and inclusion of this community.
The court declared as "totally invalid" the requirement imposed on the 50-year-old employee to use only women's restrooms far from her place of work.
It is worth remembering that, in 2019, a Tokyo district court had determined that these restrictions were illegal, but this sentence was later reversed, in 2021, by a higher court.
The Supreme Court has now reaffirmed the trans employee's right to use the bathroom in accordance with her gender identity.
This is the first time that Japan's highest court has issued a decision regarding issues involving LGBTQIA+ people in the workplace.
This important milestone comes after the enactment of a law that, despite being criticized for its shyness, prohibits discrimination against LGBT people in the country.
The case that culminated in this Tuesday's decision is related to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Japan, whose leader is Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The employee who filed the lawsuit said the ministry's actions hurt her dignity and violated laws that protect employees' rights.
This decision sets an important precedent for guaranteeing the rights of trans people and the LGBTQIA+ community in general in Japan.
It is expected that it will contribute to promoting actions and laws that promote equality and inclusion, combating discrimination and prejudice that often affect this community.
