Japan court says not recognizing same-sex marriage unconstitutional

A Japanese court ruled for the first time Wednesday that the government's failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional as it violates the right to equality, in a historic verdict hailed by activists as a step toward a change in their lives.But the Sapporo District Court, ruling on a suit brought by three same-sex couples in Hokkaido, rejected their demand for 1 million yen ($9,100) each for psychological damage caused by what they called the government's negligence in not amending the law to allow them to marry.Related coverage:READ FULL ARTICLE