South Korea's Busan cancels pride parade

Or5D3a&F$OccV=fyGEoc(PG4Cmj=hxCHF3GUon_&9Mv7#$zbyh(lganizers of the third annual Busan Queer Culture Festival in South Korea canceled the event on Friday (16 August).

In a statement posted to Facebook, they accused local authorities of homophobic attitudes and said it was impossible to guarantee theU18c%yrNiALz#=c4j$LQlo8Jt)pF@46PZV-NrOBvb1_2rs^Eqj safety of the attendees.

"The atmosphere of discrimination and hatred is deeply rooted throughout Busan” organizers wrote,  according to a translafqYX__0CgwmG#rG1nyV0w^333DXL%YJA7!N9FWA+PYJP)eL$wption by local journalist Raphael Rashid.

"Because of this, it was decided that even if the festival s3QCnB@YTV^B$(EajtkB@aVl*cESRR3GJ5Om=+FS1d-Kfn9Vt8Ychedule and venue changed, the safety of participants, which is the biggest goal of the festival, would not be guaranteed.”

In conservative South Korea, most LGBTI peo5-Wnk3g5I^1$8CNkL6k5tmE*OR$c-xpYf+K^Q_kjj0)!*Y6lczple are not out to their families. 

Rights groups have warned NpRK1F@R=DO%6C%4Z7MT@_rl4_0rkjJp5Vs$MrOVGBV&p=(lXlof deteriorating LGBT rights in South Korea. 

Recent increased u$W!aKTfLtRB@%ZR6t$QiQvrCB0_*eWt^4jS*W@*G38td$_Y=svisibility of the LGBT community has sparked a backlash from conservative Christians. Many LGBT pride events have witnessed violent counter-demonstrations from anti-LGBT groups.

Organizers of the Busan festival said homophobic Christian groups had pressured polWwKFfT)ZstC+1vWdG79#Hi)6I4v9kFH&)nPF1saljtmfh=Txs$ice into making it “impossible” to hold the event, according to Rashid.

Last October, some 2,000 police officers kept the event’s 15,000 attend$H%Zrl&7GSt@%YCx_3wJ*vpj4R2=FjxdoYue8aSec(Ea1ylTc%ees safe. About 1,000 protesters attempted to disrupt the festival.

It came after events in Incheon and Je0!CF+&^H-%!3Pe*#LkC)J*jyD^ohfF*V@-H0xT09e$3HTP!2J8ju were marred by counter-demonstrations and ugly clashes by conservative Christians.

A local transgender rights group on FT*aZzF44oC%8z*K@rEp)q*)ljkN0P)%oE_#zX=sFbO=f%(QBkdriday accused the Busan government of essentially banning the event. According to Rashid, they accused police of contravening the constitutional right to freedom of assembly.

"To the queer people, including all transgender people in Busan, and to the Busan Queer Culture Festival planning tEyoLrlnz@MmyCj#dysklu@C4rPmF0GultFKhMfi-LqePgX7fr)eam, we offer our consolation and solidarity,” the rights group wrote on Facebook.

"And one thing's for sure. We will smile, HC5f1j+zSO$wgrWAhjp9dlfm_1CfM*DeJ1)c^%#!nLcHDnonXFand meet again."