Sapporo, Osaka Extend Support Money Coverage to LGBT Couples

Kyodo file photo.

SAPPORO (Kyodo) — Sapporo and Osaka have made lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples in officially recognized partnerships eligible to receive support money if they are victims of crime, marking a rare move among municipalities in Japan, officials of the two cities said recently.

A support system for crime victims and their families was introduced in Osaka in April and in Sapporo this month. As same-sex marriage is not recognized in Japan, most people in LGBT partnerships find themselves ineligible to receive social security benefits.

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