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Japanese Prime Minister Kishida fires aide over anti-LGBT remarks

Arai will be succeeded by Sadanori Ito

TOKYO, February 4. /TASS/. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fired his aide Masayoshi Arai after his scandalous remarks towards sexual minorities.

"I treat it very seriously and therefore made a decision to release him from office," Kishida said, according to NHK. Arai will be succeeded by Sadanori Ito.

On Friday, Masayoshi Arai mentioned the government’s cautious position on recognition of same-sex marriage while talking to reporters. In particular, Arai reportedly said that "he would not like to live next door" to an LGBT couple and that he "even [did not] want to look at them." According to the now-dismissed official, the recognition of same-sex marriage will "change the way society is" and may cause "quite a few people to abandon this country."

Later, Arai retracted his statement, apologized and said that he expressed his own opinion, which does no coincide with that of the Prime Minister’s.

Japan is the only remaining G7 country that does not recognize same-sex marriage. Many members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Kishida, oppose such recognition.

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