On May 18th 2023, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) submitted the "LGBT Understanding Bill" to the Japanese parliament. Controversies persist around the bill, with some attributing the reluctance to pass it to pressure from Western nations. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the intentional alignment of Japanese news media with party preferences through the 'Press club' system. Drawing upon such context and using the repression hypothesis, this white paper contends that the differing news media narratives between the LDP and its main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, focus on reinforcing their power rather than genuinely prioritizing LGBTQIA+ rights.
