>From: International Gay Lesbian Human Rights Commission >Date: 18 Jun 94 17:31 PDT (July 1992 Action) Court Rules Against Tokyo Metropolitan Government In a first case of its sort in Japan, a Tokyo District Court has ordered the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to pay monetary damages to three gay men who were denied use of a city-owned lodge because of their sexual orientation. The ruling was issued on 30 March 1994. The case had been brought by OCCUR, the Tokyo based Association for the Lesbian and Gay Movement in conjunction with three individual plaintiffs, Takashi Kazawa, Masanori Kanda, and Masahi Nagata. The incident began in February of 1990, when some members of OCCUR stayed at a city-owned youth center in Fuchu, Tokyo for two days. Upon learning that OCCUR was a gay group, the staff of the center began to harass the members of the group. OCCUR was then told that they would be barred from using the facility in the future. The Tokyo Board of Education later upheld the decision to bar all lesbian and gay groups from city-owned youth centers. A lengthy legal battle ensued that garnered a good deal of national and international attention. According to OCCUR, the positive decision represents a crucial breakthrough. For the first time a Japanese Court has recognized homosexuality as one of the legitimate sexual orientations open to people. The court further determined that discrimination and harassment of lesbian and gay people should not be allowed. OCCUR believes that international solidarity lent during the court case was instrumental in this victory and for that they have expressed their very sincere thanks. On 12 April the Tokyo Metropolitan Government submitted an appeal to the Tokyo high court. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission IGLHRC will continue to monitor the case and future action will be called for if necessary.