“I see this ruling as a step forward toward the legalization of same-sex marriage.”Wednesday’s case involved eight people who alleged Japan’s same-sex marriage ban contravenes the country’s constitution and were seeking damages of about $7,000 each.According to a report by Nikkei, the judge cited conflicting parts of Article 24 of the country’s constitution: it’s first clause holds that marriage should be between a man and woman, while its second holds that “matters pertaining to marriage and the family” should be enacted based on “individual dignity and the essential equality of the sexes.”The LGBTQ rights movement in Japan—the only member of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations that doesn’t recognize same sex unions—has had mixed success recently.Although support has grown for LGBTQ rights in recent years, especially among younger Japanese people, many of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are deeply conservative and have balked at recent pushes to advance LGBTQ equality.Alexander Dmitrenko, the co-chair and co-founder of Lawyers for LGBT & Allies Network says that while he is disappointed in the Tokyo court’s “timidity to rule more unequivocally in favor of equality,” he remains hopeful about the potential for future progress.- Zero-COVID Protests in China Have Rattled Global Markets- Column: Diversity Initiatives Are Failing the U.S. Muslim Community- Why European Countries Are Giving Teens Free Money To Spend on Books, Music, and Theater- Republican Skepticism of Trump Has Never Been Higher- Column: The U.S. Prison System Doesn't Value True Justice- How Green Is the Qatar World Cup’s Outdoor AC?"