South Korea's Busan cancels pride parade

Organizers 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 G)QX4x2rYsVD#J)L^Z51t3mFbZNLR=vJuK7M-w2S_MKY*kk+Gxauthorities of homophobic attitudes and said it was impossible to guarantee the safety of the attendees.

"The atmosphere of discrimination and hatred is deeply rooted throughout Busan” organizers wrote,  according to a translation by local journalist RapJi0gGBAO$+OVw3Bp0tdQWyv2VJ&&vs9J#2Q5cuQPbIUXE7lzi!hael Rashid.

"Because of this, it was decided that even if the festival scheduleKUCoL)cpg8wOvh7GWi)8z()-X$ABBd(73w@C!V0H@&J2*5fIs9 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 people are not out to$9k4E^vHaepZ22tuHa6XwJSGyuGstXnDstIka5ScK&IQkVy-(- their families. 

Rights groups have warned of deterio@!q4alFG7P$#6#SiQtLKV3iyHJ%mSSAgnj+tVvP2eN8oz4G*ODrating LGBT rights in South Korea. 

Recent increased visibility of the LGBT community has sparked a backlash from conservative Christians. Many LGBT pride events have witnessed violent counter-demonstrations from anti-LGBSJfTK+nzKQr(=pXSNwAFVRHFkKpQpzZyxoq5c2UvYM2Pm8bjnET groups.

Organizers of the Busan festival said homophobic Christian groups had pressured police into making it “imZAnG0tn#3t_v=$hz25=kUMCi2Ktj!3YE0YOy-2N8mex!p$521#possible” to hold the event, according to Rashid.

Last October, some 2,000 police officers kept the event’s 15,000 attendees safe. About 1,000 protesters attempted tXvkxAURD&rWm)cU=rIw+HIc5M$j2d2JBx89S-lXFXSfZLmf((%o disrupt the festival.

It came after events in Incheon and Jeju were marred by counter-demonstrations and uglfnpF9RU+scV()D=pod$z9QNe=DhybxMYN*r0UZ__S9PqZt5(_2y clashes by conservative Christians.

A local transgender rights group on Friday accused the BusLZs!^1pb$jia#Z8Ea5&^w@sI0N1TFe4M19gY%LKdzOevx4KP@nan 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 team, we offer our consolation andULBx05A1ZSS2HgN$#^LCSvL5Jq2vTiw40z=oB0WOSELakhOfGY solidarity,” the rights group wrote on Facebook.

"And one thing's for sure. We will smile, and U3R%QOs4xJFlJ+Apw1pR3gdiW4eEkw=2+Yorw-+4W%CR7)gq(Cmeet again."