Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade in the South Kjzy%mcb59IdlijF*P9s@wD-t&cW*%xQV9xMwR%0dm5D^pju8ODorean port city of Incheon was held successfully on Saturday.

After last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by viol!B(-emZPV$Azhfvve!o^^y_mgz0Pw#*@WfEAGr!&1$^kD(gL_1ence, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.

Attendees marched 1.7 kilometers through the city streets, heard DcAQjtUu=ADyUc7ZOXFSH8zyny6Y(o+%toYnmV@DkoAyOOPYpMspeeches from NGOs and activists, and, of course, danced to K-pop.

Police and barriers separated the anti-LGBT groups who gathered to protest the festivalSwDod@E6ZXJU4_YbiO0-0m8W9VB0eaV_X(0#Jjs4&Cfw+2(cNg. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bupyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at least one case of a protester attempting to disrupt the gatheYdpY5G)HrFnAHes%@Nhc!Gn3HV80uDRMk&QtG20MNN&$%QFeCSring.

Police announced last week some 3,000 prvyHR55rDA*oGhA0plJtQzfwS_5IJL=EGRGwQ%K0A%ek@hX3EIersonnel would police the festival, according to local media Kyeongin.

Last year, anti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supportersJY%V*-Wk5^Jyump=hh-+nGwp*wl-&soNAY4)Sr7$tx1J(qtzB$ from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservativeKhD*TW=q8I-Pj*m1dYQA%OoZxQfF-L7ypSFaAOtOez==#5qv8* attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no ddGsljHX-_2HfdMpD6zIULl+yB-#w@EN1Av7(pSehussh1-@MxWiscrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans. Protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.

A 2017 Korean Gallup Daily OpiniorUF2Utyzr%Q@Io+O*RU+FGhpdgNk%@J(MO=H8mnOPS8V!C0Wk*n poll reported 66% of 19-29 year-olds supported same-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it. 

Video shared online shows disT7B+98)$1LQpEvbzB68X&pP(=Gccc*kK@4B=VC61-OdY=6!AO2tressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also L#vtY=et%#=-lBu$^=ht#1yWT387fcsy-0m4F8duPq7cOzeg^Yappear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.

Police booked eight people involved bu7nY26A!@2#RpLVO*3vs%In*3W@GsEmJxNmmIH--0LKmqJ#svm1t did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.

 "We've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizerZ3r4LqHy*h$ieMiU*O6j2A*KsWONzbOFY!&hWOwIgY4(#sUmDDs said in an Aug. 19 tweet.