Gemma Hickey entered Japan this week with something no Japanese national can obtain — a gender-neutral passport in which the gender category shows neither female nor male, but an "X."
The 42-year-old Canadian, who became one of the first in the country to receive such a passport, made their first visit to Japan with the passport on Monday to screen the documentary "Just be Gemma," which tells the story of Hickey's gender transition.
"I'm here in solidarity with the activists from Japan," said Hickey during a media briefing session held at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo on Wednesday, in a show of support for the 13 LGBT couples who filed lawsuits against the Japanese government on Thursday seeking damages for not allowing them to marry. "I hope that sharing my experiences and challenges will build on good works that activists in Japan are doing."
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