Japanese literature scholar and TV celebrity Robert Campbell publicly came out as gay Tuesday and denounced a recent string of anti-LGBT comments by ruling
Japanese literature scholar and TV celebrity Robert Campbell publicly came out as gay Tuesday and denounced a recent string of anti-LGBT comments by ruling party lawmakers.
The frequent commentator on morning talk shows and radio said in an interview with Kyodo News that he felt “disillusioned” and “alarmed” by the comments and felt the need to ensure they did not lead to misconceptions among the public regarding sexual minorities.
Campbell was reacting to Mio Sugita, a junior member of the House of Representatives belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who wrote in a magazine article published last month that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples are “unproductive,” suggesting that taxpayers’ money should not be spent on them.
Tom Tanigawa, another Lower House LDP lawmaker, later drew fire for saying on an internet show that same-sex relationships are “something like a hobby.”
Campbell said the two appeared to mistake sexuality as “a matter of preference” and the argument that it is something that can be “fixed” is harmful.
