News / Sep. 02, 2019
An LGBT pride parade in the South Korean port city of Incheon was held successfullyxJ0CzE*i9g*lK4UCbFyW@Tvf6IFi$7G@13m+1_-h9sYLbsjzw# on Saturday.
After last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by violeCJnoFHcJKUCIO0OtPxtPJ0%f-O3I_AB1VWMC063kgs@XlNXt4Ance, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.
Attendees marched 1.7 kilometers through the eVB+BrIy(H-Tdx33f92jhHidJt87KCan)P^@GU7JY+rVI4rgt-city streets, heard speeches from NGOs and activists, and, of course, danced to K-pop.
Police and barriers separated the anti-LGBT groups who gathered to protest 3$^Z^OUjFp)KXw3bCNBWmfTjVwK4Ie4kW^sA)IRDvCH%o^HquBthe festival.
Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bui3zP&yNgEYXj%7H&E0RnCrHN4OhLm8oDW@nY0FBW&$=@cEU@rmpyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at least one case of a protester attempting to disrupt the gathering.
Police announced last week some 3,000 personneFp+b)mKhfILINL8UB+b7pRjTaxoV-VLV0E5vI*kfP9QqOQ=aVFl would police the festival, according to local media Kyeongin.
Last year, anti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters froCLFqd(ty1UzmbS9)FLfcrV)YK=DA5!mzkC2Dy!MORHwows2S-Am leaving a plaza and beginning the march.
Anti-gay hate
Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Hqj*67*hCFAzLU9!l_TUytC9*BsnMR6D5LBlcME6kfBZI=#9V$Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.
There is currently no discrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans. Protests against LGBTI events, usuallBNaYabqNN98pO-l$cY48$wAvPXSdS(^=Yu!uya!hXSGv*w@7xYy led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.
A 2017 Korean Gallup Daily Opinion poll reported 66% of 19-29 year-olds dn%*shakI=7D5_fGEFNO0#Qy2+VS9)0RkXtCrU7C-)BV0IZ1Arsupported same-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it.
Video shared online shows distressing scenes of protesters, beZ*SVAEW!dpgSleW(H6sb$M*fPG(_SI%i5g6QgDp8d%=v8RUUcolieved to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.
They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were vi2qO-%&p^fZ=2(au!^^o7D5v6B*h$Mg2m)7xw1zP_ypf8-d*&FRsibly shaken by the incident.
Police booked eight people involved but did not detain t@UUgHtnI9=5C+pD@VfuZAPuFTR!1KtXSChO05^J&Oxfx%X%Eh$hem. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.
"We've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegi&AtsF^Dp5w8T5xTVg0Fs3rZZ9-Fh!xObM=A*nEWgI&I(UgE#gRtimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizers said in an Aug. 19 tweet.
