A Japanese lawmaker has come under fire for making anti-LGBTI comments. The comments come from Katsuei Hirasawa, a veteran legislator from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Speaking to a crowd at Yamanashi Prefecture in central Japan on Thursday (3 January), Hirasawa said: ‘Criticizing LGBT would create problems, but if everyone became like them then a nation would collapse.’ He has since received widespread backlash on social media, ABC News reports. Hirasawa also said he was against moves to recognize same-sex marriage in Japan while discussing the country’s low birthrate. Politicians have been trying to combat Japan’s low birthrate for years, but with little success. Many believe this is due to lack of adequate child-care and proper support for working mothers.