|| News ||
Page 1 of 1

Tokyo Celebrates Pride


Tokyo x390 I (pick-up) I Advocate.com

This weekend’s festivities are the first in three years in Tokyo, as many gay Japanese still are wary of coming out to their family and colleagues, Reuters reports.

The celebration includes a pride parade on Saturday, with the aim of raising awareness of gay people throughout the conservative country. And then a festival in the city's gay district, Shinjuku (or “2-chome”), on Sunday.

“I lead two separate lives—during the day, I’m a full-time ‘salaryman’ in a web design company, but at night I come to ‘2-chome’ to work here as a barman, Yuu, who declined to give his last name, told Reuters. “At work no one knows about my secret and I have been living this double-life for some seven years now.”

Read the full story here.

Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Facebook. Page 1 of 1
Reader Comments
  • Name: Deke
    Date posted: 8/14/2010 10:12:51 PM
    Hometown: Hino Jp

    Comment:

    Hi, folks! Wow, an article from my home turf!! It was the first PARADE in 3 years, altho Tokyo has been celebrating pride every year at open-air events in Yoyogi Park. So relax! I was privileged to march with the "Brass Mix!" Color Guard segment, also being my first time to walk in a parade. It was, in a word, fantastico! There are, by the way, other pride events/parades in Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo, which has a gay-friendly mayor. Contrary to popular western views, Japanese are not any more homophobic than Americans; if anything less so. Hate crimes against LGBT are practically unknown here. It is a fact that in general Japanese are highly adverse to divulging their private joys and passions (a la the movie "Shall We Dance"), particularly ones little understood. Re: sexuality, even now, even in Tokyo, it is rare to see a boy and girl kissing in public. In this crowded culture, with little privacy, people are much more selective about what they share. Anyway, Tokyo Pride, Banzai!!

  • Name: ozzy
    Date posted: 8/14/2010 3:12:28 PM
    Hometown: sacramento

    Comment:

    @Nathan Frye. I agree with you, I haven't been to Japan but I doubt they just started to celebrate pride. Considering the huge amount of gay porn that has come out from Japan in the last few decades, I doubt this article is accurate.

  • Name: Nathan Frye
    Date posted: 8/14/2010 2:09:20 PM
    Hometown: Henderson, NV

    Comment:

    I don't know who is doing your research but I was at the Tokyo Gay Pride in May 2009 so this is NOT the first one in 3 years. And the one in 2009 had a fabulous turnout in Shinjuku. I should know, I have the pictures to prove it.



Don't Miss
  • Best of Broadway Smash: Why You Will Love It

    Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, two of the producers of NBC’s new critically acclaimed musical series, explain why the backstage drama of creating a musical about Marilyn Monroe has mass appeal and why big stars like Anjelica Huston, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters, and Nick Jonas were eager to appear in it.

  • Best of Broadway How Broadway Does a Flea Market

    Find out why actress Kathleen Chalfant calls the annual Flea Market and Grand Auction in Times Square "the most glamorous flea market you've ever seen." It raised half a million dollars to fight HIV/AIDS.

  • Travel Slideshow Flag Gayest Cities in America, 2012

    It's no secret that megalopolises New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles have robust LGBT life — and we've even heard tell of little queer hoods like the Castro and P-Town. This isn't that list.

 
 
Advocate Subscribe Promo Banner 300x50
 
Follow Us Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterSubscribe to our RSS feedsDownload our app
Facebook Activity
 
1056 COVER X135 | ADVOCATE.COM
Today's Headlines