University Diversity Alliance (UDA) took part the Tokyo Rainbow Pride (TRP) Pride Festival held in Yoyogi Park from April 22 to April 24, 2022. TRP was held in Yoyogi Park for the first time in three years and was crowded with many participants.
At the UDA booth, members explained each university’s LGBTQ+ related activities and circumstances to visitors and answered questions. Politicians and government officials often attend TRP, and members explained the situation regarding sexual minorities at universities and stressed the need for policies at the national level. Despite the fact that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has policies in place for elementary through high school, there is no equivalent policy for universities.
Many faculty members and university students also visited our booth, several of whom then registered as UDA members. This brings our membership to 56 members from 41 universities.
What stood out this year was that many school teachers visited our booth seeking information about supporting LGBTQ+ students. There is a clear need for information about supporting LGBTQ+ students not only at universities, but also at schools.
We hope that UDA will continue to gather and share information, and we hope to participate in next year’s TRP again.