We had our 3rd annual Japan IFED picnic at Tokyo Yoyogi Park on April 29. There were 46 people, including 10 LGBT families from all over Japan. Friends, future parents, and 5 volunteer university students who helped with the event and to take care of the kids. We laid our tarps down in the park amongst the flowers and many other visitors, and enjoyed our potluck lunch. We shared our stories, and gave advice to people interested in starting a family. It was also a great opportunity for the children to interact and have fun with other diverse families like themselves. We want to send our special thanks to the university students from “ReBit(NPO)”(http://lgbtseijinshiki.tumblr.com/tagged/about) who volunteered to help us with the picnic.
Tokyo Pride (http://www.tokyorainbowweek.jp/) was held 2 days prior to this event. Our group had a booth set up as a resting area for families to mingle, relax and nurse their babies. It was the first time ever to have an official “LGBT family” themed booth at Japan Pride. Many people were intrigued with our booth and stopped by to ask questions. We were very pleased with the outcome, and helped raise more awareness about LGBT families in Japan. We are looking forward to seeing our community grow in the future.
