OCCUR (organization) explained

OCCUR
Full Name:特定非営利活動法人アカー
Native Name:アカー
Native Name Lang:ja
Formation:[1]
Formerly:動くゲイとレズビアンの会 (Japan Association for the Lesbian & Gay Movement)
Type:Non-profit organization
Purpose:LGBT rights, HIV/AIDS activism
Headquarters:Nakano, Tokyo
Leader Title:Representative of board of directors
Leader Name:Hiroshi Niimi
Region Served:Japan

is a Japanese LGBT rights organization, founded in 1986. The organization is also involved in raising awareness of and providing medical treatment for HIV/AIDS.[2]

History

OCCUR was founded in 1986 as a split of ILGA Japan, founded by several young members dissastisfied with the group's leadership.[3] The group became known for taking more proactive media and legal roles than prior organizations in Japan.[4]

In February 1990, members of OCCUR stayed overnight at Fuchu Youth House for a study session. After members introduced themselves as members of a gay organization, they faced harassment from both other guests and the director of the facility, and were subsequently barred from using the facility by the director. In 1991, OCCUR filed a lawsuit against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government over discriminatory treatment, and the legal battle subsequently became a major focus for the group. Following two separate trials, OCCUR won the case against the government on 16 September 1997.[5] [6] The judgement has since been regarded as a major legal turning point on the issue of discrimination against sexual minorities in Japan.[7]

On 2 December 1999, OCCUR was officially registered as a non-profit organization.

In 2018, the group's official name was changed from "Japan Association for the Lesbian & Gay Movement" to "OCCUR", which had already been in use since the organization was formed.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 団体概要 . 2024-03-17 . NPO 法人アカー . ja.
  2. Web site: アカーとは . 2024-03-17 . NPO 法人アカー . ja.
  3. Suganuma . Katsuhiko . November 2006 . Enduring Voices: Fushimi Noriaki and Kakefuda Hiroko's Continuing Relevance to Japanese Lesbian and Gay Studies and Activism . Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context . 14.
  4. Web site: McLelland . Mark . 2011 . Japan's Queer Cultures . 2024-03-17 . University of Wollongong.
  5. Web site: Fujitani . Yuta . 2008 . トラブルを起こす/トラブルになる ―1990年「府中青年の家同性愛者差別事件」と1991年から1997年の「府中青年の家裁判」を事例として― . ja.
  6. October 2017 . Current Situation and Challenges of Building a Japanese LGBTQ Ephemera Collection at Yale . Journal of East Asian Libraries . 2017 . 165.
  7. Web site: Kaku . Sechiyama . 2015-05-28 . Rainbow in the East: LGBT Rights in Japan . Nippon.com.
  8. Web site: 特定非営利活動法人アカーの情報 . National Tax Agency Corporate Number Publication Site . ja.