Japan's Supreme Court Strikes Down Bathroom Restrictions for Transgender Individuals

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled that restricting a transgender woman's use of toilets at her workplace is "unacceptable," marking the first decision by the country's highest court on the work environment for LGBT individuals. The ruling may help promote LGBT rights in Japan, the only G7 nation without legal protection for same-sex unions. The transgender woman, who was assigned male at birth, sued because she was only allowed to use women's toilets several floors away from her office. While Japan requires gender reassignment surgery for legal gender change, the woman was unable to undergo the procedure due to health reasons. The court's decision comes after a series of positive regional court rulings on same-sex marriage and the passing of a law to promote understanding of the LGBT community, which has faced backlash from conservative lawmakers.