LGBTQ orgs in Japan push for equality ahead of G7 summit
Japanese activist groups delivered a statement to the government on Friday, April 21, urging that the country legalize same-sex marriages and enact an antidiscrimination law before the G7 summit in May.

Japan will be hosting the summit and is currently the only country in the Group of Seven that doesn't recognize same-sex unions or provide other equal protections for the LGBTQ+ community.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida faced backlash in February when he said he wouldn't want to live next to LGBTQ+ people. In the aftermath of public outrage, Kishida's government has focused on preparing legislation that would promote but not mandate LGBTQ+ rights.

"Enactment of awareness promotion is far from the global standard," said Yuichi Kamiya, executive director of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan followed the activists' statement on Friday with one of its own. "Japan's lack of LGBTQ+ protections makes it a less attractive option for some of the best talent in the world in an era when companies operating in Japan cannot afford to lose talent to their global competitors," it said.

Wales schools to receive guidance on supporting Trans students
As part of its LGBTQ+ Action Plan, the Welsh government will publish national guidelines for schools on gender education topics and supporting Trans students in the coming academic year.

"This is a complex area of policy which requires extensive consultation with experts, practitioners, and the public, as well as children and young people themselves," a spokesperson for Wales told the BBC.

The guidelines will be distributed over the summer. Members of the Welsh Conservatives have called the decision a "delicate subject" that is "vital" to get right, according to Wales Online.

"The guidance should allow teachers to focus on teaching and not pander to identity politics and culture wars," said Laura Anne Jones, a spokesperson for the Welsh Conservatives, in a statement.

Rocio Cifuentes, children's commissioner for Wales, released a statement saying she expected "the Welsh government's upcoming national trans guidance for schools to act as a comprehensive and practical tool to help schools to confidently respond to pupils' needs."