Japan high court rules same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional

A Japanese high court ruled Thursday the country's lack of legal recognition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, in a move likely to further mount pressure on the government to do more to protect sexual minorities.The Sapporo High Court upheld the lower court's landmark verdict in 2021 that said non-recognition of same-sex marriage violates the right to equality protected under the Constitution but rejected a total of 6 million yen ($40,600) in damages sought by three same-sex couples in Hokkaido against the state for emotional distress.The plaintiffs said they will appeal the ruling …READ FULL ARTICLE