Culture and Social Issues

Companies Must Allow Men To Use Women’s Restrooms At Work, Japanese High Court Rules

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The Japanese Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that it is illegal for companies to bar men from using the women’s bathroom in the workplace, according to Bloomberg.

The country’s first ruling on LGBTQ rights in the workplace, the Japanese Supreme Court ruled in favor of a transgender woman, a biological male, who pursued the ability to use the women’s bathroom at the workplace after being “limited” to using a bathroom two floors away, according to Bloomberg. The 2015 case began with the individual filing a lawsuit after being denied by authorities to address the situation.

The Japanese Supreme Court ruled that limiting the transgender woman, a biological male, to the male bathroom was a disadvantage that occurred daily, Bloomberg reported. The ruling comes as the country is under scrutiny for its dealings with LGBTQ persons, and as they remain the only member of the Groups of Seven nations to not acknowledge same-sex unions.

“The relevant ministries will respond appropriately after closely studying the court’s ruling,” Hirokazu Matsuno, the chief cabinet secretary said in a press conference following the ruling.

Earlier in the year, Japan passed a bill regarding rights for LGBTQ persons following discriminatory remarks made by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s aide, according to Bloomberg.

The transgender person said the state “cannot ignore the severity of this ruling” and that the court had not awarded any compensation regarding an appeal the transgender person made, according to Yahoo News.