gaywrites:

Last week, Japan made history by becoming the first country to elect an openly trans man to public office. Tomoya Hosoda will now serve as a councillor for the city of Iruma, and he said he wants to focus on helping LGBTQ people and other minority communities, such as elderly and disabled populations.

“Until recently, people have acted as if sexual minorities do not exist. We have many hurdles to overcome, but I hope to live up to everyone’s expectations,” he told Stonewall, an organisation which supports LGBTQ people in Japan.

He added having received many messages of support and gratitude from the LGBTQ community ever since he announced his candidacy.

Mr Hosoda is the second transgender politician elected in Japan after Kamikawa Aya, a transgender woman who was elected as a Tokyo municipal official in 2003.

Good news all around. Congratulations, sir!