Introduction
Throughout the 20th century, most developed countries significantly advanced LGBT rights, allowing same-sex marriages and complete freedom of sexual expression. At present, nations in North America and Europe recognize sexual freedom as a fundamental human right, while some countries in Africa and the Middle East have death penalties for this behavior. East Asia is somewhat in the middle of the LGBT rights scale, where most countries do not recognize same-sex marriage but also do not punish people for homosexuality. For instance, Japan remains the last G7 country that does not allow same-sex marriage. Hence, the research question is, “Why do East Asian countries obstruct the development of LGBT rights, and will this trend change in the future?” In turn, the current paper argues that, despite cultural barriers, East Asian countries closely affiliated with Western ideologies will significantly advance LGBT rights and allow same-sex marriages in the near future.
Overview of LGBT Rights in East Asia
East Asia is a large region that comprises such nations as China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Taiwan. As seen from the list, each of the countries has a drastically different political environment, ideology, level of economic development, and degree of LGBT acceptance. Only Taiwan has legally recognized same-sex marriages among these nations, although many barriers obstructed this inclusion process for more than 30 years of law development (Tang et al., 2020). Other governments closely affiliated with Western ideologies, such as Japan and Hong Kong, continually try to advance LGBT rights; however, cultural barriers remain a significant problem (Tang et al., 2020). In South Korea, LGBT is a social taboo, and many homosexual people face discrimination as the political parties shift further away from sexual acceptance (Lee, 2021). Lastly, China is a rigorous advocator of traditional families, and there are numerous social and legal barriers for LGBT members (Wei & Liu, 2019). In summary, countries in East Asia have drastically different perspectives on LGBT rights, and it is critical to analyze these issues in greater detail.
Cultural Barriers and LGBT Rights
Many experts recognize cultural barriers as the core reason for low LGBT acceptance. Asian countries have rich histories associated with political regimes and religions that do not tolerate homosexuality (Tang et al., 2020). For instance, South Korea has had the largest Christian population among East Asian countries for several hundred years, and this religious affiliation is continually becoming more prominent (Lee, 2021). As Lee (2021) reports, Christian activists are actively promoting anti-LGBT laws in the country, and it is a notable cultural barrier. A similar case is Buddhism, which is generally a highly accepting religion/philosophy, but its related history with political regimes has a detrimental impact on the rights of homosexual people (Tang et al., 2020). For instance, the first same-sex Buddhist wedding ceremony occurred only in 2012 in Taiwan, although it was still not legally accepted (Tang et al., 2020).
As seen from the examples, cultural heritage plays significant role in LGBT rights, but the current paper argues that it is not a critical factor. For instance, during the “LGBT boom” in the 1990s, the perception of homosexuality drastically changed in Taiwan and Japan (Tang et al., 2020, p. 197). This influence from the Western part of the world overcame cultural barriers, allowing people in both countries to understand homosexuality as a fundamental human right and not just a deviation from a “normal” lifestyle (Tang et al., 2020). As Fotache writes (2019), the “Gay Boom” in Japan significantly increased the relevance of LGBT content in the media, exposing people to a different understanding of homosexual people. Although this perception was still heavily characterized and stereotyped, it was a positive development in terms of LGBT rights in a regulated environment (Fotache, 2019). Ultimately, the examples of Taiwan and Japan transparently demonstrate that although cultural barriers are important, they do not completely neglect the introduction of LGBT rights and same-sex marriages.
Economic Development and LGBT Rights
Consequently, there is a connection between the level of economic development and LGBT rights. As the 2021 rating shows, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have drastically higher GDP per capita than China and North Korea (“GDP per capita,” 2022). Moreover, as the research demonstrates, the level of economic development has a significant positive relationship with the degree of LGBT acceptance globally (Badgett et al., 2019). Hence, this information supports the idea that Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan are more open to the idea of LGBT rights compared to China and, specifically, North Korea. South Korea is an outlier in this context, showing that cultural barriers, the advance of conservative political parties, and the influence of Christian activists remain more significant factors than economic development (Lee, 2021). Nevertheless, it is safe to assume that higher economic ratings support society’s initiatives toward LGBT rights.
Politics and LGBT Rights
Lastly, the current paper argues that political ideologies and affiliations play the most significant role in the acceptance of LGBT rights and same-sex marriages. At present, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong are more likely to continually advance LGBT rights in a similar manner to Western countries. In this context, Hong Kong is an outlier because although it directly responds to Western values, it is still a special administrative region in China. Its political affiliation with mainland China is substantial, and Hong Kong does not have complete autonomy in its political and social regulations (Tang et al., 2020). As a result, as long as China does not have any positive development for LGBT rights, it is unlikely that Hong Kong will recognize same-sex marriages in the near future.
Taiwan is another example of a country deeply affiliated with both China and the West. However, unlike the situation with Hong Kong, China cannot legally interfere with Taiwan’s political and social regulations (Tang et al., 2020). Moreover, it is in Taiwan’s interest to become more affiliated with the West politically, culturally, and economically to obtain additional protection from China. As a result, Taiwan is decisively the most advanced country concerning LGBT rights in East Asia and the only government that recognizes same-sex marriages in the region (Tang et al., 2020). It is highly likely that Taiwan will continue to advance the level of LGBT rights to become more affiliated with the West and less with China.
Consequently, Japan arguably takes second place in East Asia concerning the advancement of LGBT rights. It has close relationships with the West, a rich history of homosexuality acceptance, and a relatively indifferent population concerning LGBT rights. In this discussion, it is critical that people are not dismissive or violent toward homosexual people, and the discrimination primarily occurs on a systematic level (Fotache, 2019). According to the 2021 poll, the majority of the population (57%) voted in favor of same-sex marriages (Drury, 2022). Moreover, the government is gradually moving towards an LGBT-tolerant society, introducing same-sex partnership certificates (Drury, 2022). Although the certificates do not have the exact social benefits as marriages, it is a notable sign of positive development concerning LGBT rights (Drury, 2022). As a result, it is highly likely that Japan will continue to improve its relationships with the West, advance LGBT rights, and introduce same-sex marriages in the near future.
Lastly, South Korea is the third country in East Asia that has the potential to legalize same-sex marriages. It is closely affiliated with the West; however, its social stigma of homosexuality is significantly more prevalent than in Japan (Lee, 2021). Moreover, as mentioned before, the growing popularity of conservative parties and the efforts of Christian activists are two factors that obstruct LGBT rights and that are virtually non-existent in Japan. Nevertheless, if South Korea undergoes a political restructuring, it can potentially introduce same-sex marriages to develop its relationship with the West.
Conclusion
The acceptance of same-sex marriages is a relevant topic in gender studies that discusses factors affecting LGBT rights in various countries. In East Asia, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong are three notable outliers that continually attempt to improve the quality of life for homosexual people by removing social, cultural, and legal barriers. The current research paper has shown that although numerous challenges still exist, the mutual relationship of these countries with Western nations positively affects the level of LGBT rights. In summary, Taiwan and Japan are highly likely to continue to advance LGBT rights, with Japan allowing same-sex marriages in the near future. On the other hand, South Korea and Hong Kong are facing more severe social, cultural, and, especially, political barriers that obstruct the introduction of same-sex marriages. They can potentially advance LGBT rights as well, but it will require more time. Ultimately, the overall development of LGBT rights in East Asia is positive due to more active cooperation of the countries with Western nations, resulting in significant cultural and political influence.
References
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