LGBT-Ally Project boosting Ally support at Pride Events across Japan

The LGBT-Ally Project, an initiative that unites Out Japan and ally companies with the goal of increasing ally support for the LGBTQ+ community, recently participated in two major Pride events — Kyoto Rainbow Pride Parade Festival on April 15 and Tokyo Rainbow Pride on April 22 and 23. This project, which commenced in 2017, currently has 38 participating companies.

The Kyoto Rainbow Pride Parade Festival, now in its third year, saw the LGBT-Ally Project march in the parade and set up a booth, despite the rain. The booth featured panel displays representing the project.

A week later, Tokyo Rainbow Pride took place over two days at Yoyogi Park Event Square. With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and favorable weather, it concluded as the largest event to date. Organizers estimated that approximately 240,000 people attended over the two-day period. The LGBT-Ally Project’s booth showcased the initiatives of its participating companies through panel displays. For the first time, a photo booth was set up featuring a panel with logos of participating companies.

The project also celebrated the launch of the 2023 edition of the LGBT-Ally Project’s special page on April 8. An online opening event was held on April 16, where 15 companies shared their initiatives and exchanged ideas.

To wrap up the month’s events, the LGBT-Ally Project released a recap video, highlighting the opening online event and their participation in the Rainbow Pride events in Kyoto and Tokyo.

The project’s next appearance will be at the Nagoya Rainbow Pride on 3 June, where they plan to participate in the parade and set up a booth.