Fridae

About 200 LGBTQ+ people and supporters marched through Sendai in northeastern Japan on 24 October, calling for rights and dignity at Miyagi Rainbow Parade, Kyodo News reported.

The marchers carried rainbow flags through occasional light rain. This year’s slogan was “I'm STILL HERE. We're STILL HERE.” Organisers told Kyodo they chose it because sexual minorities are still made invisible.

The committee’s pre-event statement describes LGBTQ+ residents as neighbours who have long been part of the city. If those residents are treated as absent, it argues, the systems around them can be built without their voices. Equal rights are central to the march.

The organisers also want people to enjoy being themselves and celebrating each other. They acknowledge that some LGBTQ+ people cannot march, and that others choose to keep their sexuality private. They say those people remain part of the community the parade is walking for.