With more LGBTQ athletes than ever, Games put focus on Japan

TOKYO: More than 160 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer athletes are due to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, making this year's Games the most inclusive ever.

Sugiyama began fencing at the age of 10, rising through the ranks and eventually competing internationally for the Japanese women's team. He felt conflicted identifying as a woman in competitions and retired at 25.While Japan is known for its strong civil society and democracy, rights activists say it has a long way to go on addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues.

"I think lots of people in the world think that Japan is the human rights defender, but it's opposite, because we don't have any marriage equality, we don't have any law to ban discrimination on sexual orientation or gender identity," said Gon Matsunaka, founder of Japan's first LGBTQ centre, Pride House.

"We are happy that we have found a common path that makes it possible for the hockey team to make a socio-political statement," Alfons Hoermann, the president of the confederation, said.

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