Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks Dec. 24 with Masayoshi Arai, right, who served as his key aide until he was fired on Feb. 4. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Opposition parties seized on discriminatory comments that resulted in the sacking of a key aide to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and sparked fury in the LGBT community to attack the administration over its commitment to inclusiveness and diversity.

The furor erupted Feb. 4 after it emerged that Masayoshi Arai, who served as an executive secretary in charge of media relations for Kishida, said he would not want to live next to gays and other sexual minorities.

“The remarks were exclusivist and terrifying and have the potential to divide society,” fumed Kenta Izumi, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, when he met with reporters in Tokushima.

Noting that Arai served as Kishida’s speech writer, Izumi said, “The atmosphere in the prime minister’s office has become a far cry from the government’s slogan of inclusiveness and diversity.”

Akira Koike, who heads the secretariat of the Japanese Communist Party, also denounced Arai’s comments as “insults fully displaying a sense of discrimination against sexual minorities.”

The opposition parties are set to pepper Kishida with questions about his stance on sexual minorities at the Lower House Budget Committee. He is scheduled to attend an intensive deliberation committee session on Feb. 8.

Even lawmakers with Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party expressed deep concern about the fallout from Arai’s remarks, considering that unified local elections will be held in April.

“We have to do something to distance the LDP from Arai’s comments to ensure the public does not equate them with the party’s position,” said a former Cabinet member of the LDP.

Arai went on to tell reporters Feb. 3 in off-the-record remarks that he loathed even looking at sexual minorities and indicated that all executive secretaries under Kishida were opposed to same-sex marriage, an issue that puts the prime minister in a bind as it again shines a light on his reluctance to sanction such partnerships on grounds they could fundamentally “change society.”

Gay people were equally aghast that a high-ranking government official would express such utter contempt for sexual minorities.

“I was shocked by the indefensible, discriminatory comments coming straight from the administration’s inner circle,” said Soshi Matsuoka, a 28-year-old man who proudly identifies as gay and represents Fair, an organization that disseminates information concerning sexual minorities.

Matsuoka said the Kishida administration would not be able to draw the curtain on the issue simply with Arai’s dismissal.

“Japan is far from being qualified to host the Group of Seven summit in May, given a top government official lacks respect for human rights,” he said. “The government should send a message condemning discrimination against sexual minorities to the public and swiftly enact legislation that protects their rights.”

Japan is the only G-7 member that has yet to legalize same-sex marriage.

A 40-year-old company employee in Kumamoto who is waging a court battle over same-sex marriage said he broke down in tears when he heard about Arai’s comments.

“They were nothing less than undisguised hostility toward us,” said the man, who calls himself Kozo. “They were directed at me, my partner and my relatives who are supportive of our struggle to gain legal status as a family.”

He added, “We are not clamoring for any special rights, just the right to an ordinary, peaceful life.”

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