LDP Lawmakers Read Pamphlet That Says Gays Suffer From 'Mental Disorder'

A pamphlet circulated lately among MPs from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) portrayed sexual minorities as having an "acquired psychological disorder" that is as addictive as gambling, The Asahi Shimbun reported.

Photo Insert: The 90-page pamphlet asserts that homosexuality is an acquired condition that, like gambling addiction, can be overcome if a person has a strong enough desire to do so.

According to sources, the pamphlet was distributed at a June 13 gathering in a Tokyo hotel of LDP lawmakers from a group with a similar ideology to Shinto Seiji Renmei (Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership), which is made up of thousands of individuals affiliated with Shinto shrines throughout Japan.

The 90-page pamphlet includes excerpts from lectures given by university professors and others on same-sex marriages and the subject of enabling married couples to choose separate surnames. The speeches were delivered at Shinto Seiji Renmei's study sessions.

It asserts that homosexuality is an acquired condition that, like gambling addiction, can be overcome if a person has a strong enough desire to do so.

Takeharu Kato, an openly gay lawyer who has led plaintiff organizations in cases over same-sex marriages, stated that “the thinking that homosexuality is some sort of illness was rejected years ago, so the clear inclusion of such a passage is, to me, an expression of prejudice and animosity.”

According to The Asahi Shimbun and a team led by Masaki Taniguchi, a professor of political science at the University of Tokyo, a recent survey of candidates running in the July 10 Upper House election found that the LDP, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, lags far behind other political parties in supporting legislation to promote understanding of sexual minorities.

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