Same-sex marriage is not a constitutional right

International Desk: A Japanese court has ruled that same-sex marriage is not a constitutional right. The court gave the verdict in a case of rights activists seeking legal approval for the marriage of a gay couple in the country. Osaka District Court on Monday dismissed a case seeking permission for same-sex marriage. In that case, three gay couples demanded compensation of 1 million yen (about ৭ 8,400) per person from the government. They claimed that the constitutional right to equality was being violated in the country due to lack of recognition of same-sex marriage. But the court ruled in favor of the government. Osaka court ruling shatters gay rights activists' hopes The ruling said that the definition of marriage under the constitution does not mention the issue of same-sex marriage. The court's ruling is in stark contrast to the historic March 2021 ruling by the Sapporo District Court in Japan's northern Hokkaido prefecture. The Sapporo court called the government's failure to recognize same-sex marriage a violation of the constitutional right to equality. However, the verdict also rejected the claim for compensation. Japan is the only country in the G7 group where same-sex marriage is not recognized at the national level. However, in some parts of the country, ‘Certificate of Partnership’ is issued which gives some rights to gay couples. The property is allowed to be rented and the right to hospital treatment. Homosexuality has been legal in Japan since the 1970s and is relatively liberal compared to some Asian countries. Homosexuality is illegal in Singapore, despite pressure to change colonial-era laws. India's Supreme Court also ruled in 2016 that homosexuality is no longer a criminal offense. However, the country does not recognize same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is not recognized in China. Although there are no laws against homosexuality in China. However, it is a taboo subject that is regularly checked. Even social media is censored. Some Asian countries have seen recent progress in this regard. In Asia, for the first time in 2019, the self-governing island of Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage.