On November 27, 2020, we invited Fumino Sugiyama, the President of New Canvas Inc. who is active in creating environments that welcome diversity, including LGBTQ, and Kazuki Taiga, specialist at the University’s GS Center, to participate in the lecture “Placing Value in Our Differences and Respecting Diverse Individualities.” “I want this to be an opportunity to think about gender and sexuality while sharing scenes I have ever seen and thought I have had as an individual involved in this issue,” said Sugiyama. “A single act towards someone who is in a difficult situation can be a big step towards creating a society where everyone, not just LGBTQ, can live comfortably.” Taiga followed by introducing the current initiatives and plans of the GS Center, which celebrates the fifth anniversary of its founding this year, commenting, “I want to pursue one initiative at a time and encourage students, faculty, and staff to think of themselves as part of SOGI*.” The lecture was a valuable opportunity for participants to think about the importance of respecting the diverse range of individualities among everyone.
*SOGI: An acronym that stands for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Q&A session via Zoom Webinar（Top: (From Left) Taiga, Professor Naoko Yuge (Faculty of Law), who served as moderator; Bottom: Sugiyama）
