[R-Weeks 2026] 6/15 'Gateway to Society': The Normalization of Same-sex Partnerships in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea

Is same-sex marriage just a Western value that doesn't really work in North Asia?  Why has same-sex marriage been legalized in Taiwan but not in neighbouring Japan and South Korea?  This event explores how norms of same-sex partnerships are developing in the three democracies of North Asia.  Using the framework of norm diffusion, it identifies the main drivers and constraints of normalization, looks at what is distinctive and innovative in each country and in the region generally, and considers the influence of factors such as modernization, nationalism, religion, social movements, political processes and human agency.  While marriage equality is a reality in only one of the three to date, the principle of legal recognition of same-sex partnerships rights has already been normalized - it just remains to find the final form that principle will take in each location.

Date: June 15th

Time: 11:35-12:50

Venue: Honkan 105

Registration: Please register from this link

For accessibility requests and questions, please contact cgs@icu.ac.jp