Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade in the South Korean port city of Incheon was held successfuFy#pSg)[email protected]+jBtZ=5D-U(YRXjUe7FzPv^uC$C3lly on Saturday.

After-SpDfOAb)9F%[email protected]@rlw7z2YEh-J1AOx^[email protected]$ last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by violence, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.

Attendees marcl7%f#[email protected]&kJwg!KvIWkPV&U&VJgxPZfgYgWtRqhed 1.7 kilometers through the city streets, heard speeches from NGOs and activists, and, of course, danced to K-pop.

Police and barriers separated the anti-L@G$%9HREGiYgQCxZmRtoc*VWwQw3wGIK7ft*)nuJYZjl#v&#aWGBT groups who gathered to protest the festival. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bupe5tV!$blulfSJ#@02d1T4dBjqhnD)^(X#cP8(*%-ka0G2#Rg4Iyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at least one case of a protester attempting to disrupt the gathering.

Police announced laxZKIdMza1O7W7AQXlH7m&RZZ3#$RW89bwxY*-OqnE6z#mWgH(7st week some 3,000 personnel would police the festival, according to local media Kyeongin.

Last year, anti-gay protesters physicalsY_2DM*[email protected]_oWc#nfbs&6_QF8*d**mT9KDG)R#Sd9m)ly blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes,XyUN1^mamQVu1PXsKY)yQ-ZxJhhmxjmDJJGnxZcDbM%r27k%2s especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is Oj(LgEMOe=EtBTz2f9hm&7_gGMBVQS_jHW^4InZcotsfzKlpC*currently no discrimination 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 Opinion poll reported 66% of [email protected]#X)bNbuRt=90AN7pvpfEx=_KOl$RfY)19-29 year-olds supported same-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it. 

Video shared onlinek_r3_cStqA=)pNbfqhJSv1!5leI(FBfn#Dnf!vC8sIo=IccYoX shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners&K4-K9QW#@UP$_W3K!bfO#2-YMI$(OT#GCc#R#921)nN^PxTmo, 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 but did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the Yo8e-fafe5f$Z7zU(q55bmFU(FhcLudejgxBHoaGt+h(W6gkxNviolence.

 "We've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizers saidOR8#_quF0w(2BBU)z^28goMvtJoLpmp5uruW2rAv)P!ZA4oqE3 in an Aug. 19 tweet.