• axont [she/her, comrade/them]
    hexbear
    47
    9 months ago

    Last time I was in Japan I saw a poster from their communist party that had a fist in rainbow colors. I also saw a few instances of graffiti saying BLM. Was pretty cool.

    Also I've met trans people in Japan, like a bunch. This is just anecdotal and vibes though. From what they tell me I got the idea that the average Japanese person is less queerphobic than the average American, but they've got really shit laws in Japan. Like surgery is required to legally change gender, and same-sex couples have basically no protections.

    But I think the typical weeb chud's brain would overheat hearing about how there are pretty vibrant queer communities in Japan, and they often use English terminology to describe themselves. Last time I was there I learned the term ノンケ (nonke) means straight. It's a contraction of a phrase meaning like "doesn't feel like it."

    • kristina [she/her]
      hexbear
      20
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      In east asia in general they have less awareness about LGBT stuff and also less awareness about homophobia. Their masculinity culture is also less fucked up and it's common for guys to cuddle and stuff.

      I think that since each major east asian country has their own script and speaks less English and largely avoided full colonization from the West are why homophobia isn't a hot button issue there. There's also many nationalist groups that oppose Christianity and it's influence vehemently, so the right wing culture is very different

      • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
        hexbear
        20
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        They're pretty bad when it comes to international stuff, but that's kind of harsh. My friend works as a teacher in Japan and the JCP does some decent work with the teachers' unions. They're also one of the most consistent voices in Japanese politics calling for the total removal of American military bases from the mainland and Okinawa.

        I dislike how reluctant they are to work with China or the DPRK. You'd think that would be very obvious given their geography and how many Chinese and Korean immigrants live in Japan. Also they should be more vocal about completely abolishing the Japanese monarchy. I still think you're being harsh considering the JCP does an ok amount of union salting, which means they're at least better than useless.

        The main issue they're always going to face is they're a primarily electoral party within the Japanese parliament, which is a government that was hastily designed by the USA to ensure Japan is always ruled by American interests, large Japanese businesses, and the yakuza.

        • machiabelly [she/her]
          hexbear
          10
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          I don't think that liberal democracy has ever really allowed democratic control of foreign policy. Until our capitalist world state starts to crumble all any electoralist communist party can do is advocate for less exploitative domestic policy. Until the US declines its puppets will be manipulated with short strings. Electoral parties, unions, revolutionaries, can effect policy within their borders. The only way to change exploitative foreign policy is for the victims of it to fight back.

          The JCP isn't going to take a stand, and potentially lose voters or risk the wrath of the other parties, on principle. The reality is that foreign policy is what voters care about the least. It doesn't effect them directly.

          Think about Corbyn, his stance on Israel was correct but it also lead to him getting smeared as anti-semetic. Would the media have found something similarly nonsensical to slander him with? Probably. But its easy to look at that and see something avoidable.

    • GarfieldYaoi [he/him]
      hexbear
      7
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      Honestly, if I was Japanese. I'd be a little offended that they think we're all identical to dumb Americans on cultural issues.

      Off topic, but which culture is to us what Japan is to the right? A western country that isn't terrible and maybe we can use as a shield to pretend that we're not woke in discussions. Ireland, perhaps?