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 authorities of homophobic attitudes and said it was impossible to guarantee QwcBQk%)^lEk%GQsZN^@-(@_qDTxB#l(Wzj42kidSMkmCB-n2*the safety of the attendees.

"The atmosphere of discrimination and hatred is deeply rooted throughout Busan” organizers wrote,  according to a translation byERSPu4t0l@N0@g*a0M5nQUL^vGS6KhYKIOAsO0dT8hMFSKPJGs local journalist Raphael Rashid.

"Because 8bJ_Z=SWSHuMcu$-gXL&dQsBj72WzO5WjUThp*(NsefMV^USJ1of this, it was decided that even if the festival schedule and venue changed, the safety of participants, which is the biggest goal of the festival, would not be guaranteed.”

In conservative South Korea,AvbCwh85%OtQa%eo9ffBq1X8Fp+%R$j&zjx5pnzq)0$YT%fDgN most LGBTI people are not out to their families. 

Rights groups have warned of deterioratin$pNqp9e+heG@FiUaOk!-scuczAp(+tTloiId_@@slFE!dZU9eGg LGBT rights in South Korea. 

Recent increased visibility of the LGBT commt&%H6b%L@o&+sxtIbOv14aPp^&nrJB%LdAKDwxytfLZsG+ADT(unity 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 police into making it “impossible” to hold the ever!HmYW)1oU@Ws68%AHRM1(zT_MtO-UHgFPktJIX5LJ8e!_RJ^%nt, according to Rashid.

Last October, some 2,000 police officers =^wu8+b79GgGnoHX((xD7pZV#7$T1pSaheSZYdZ#rCnUuV-7aDkept the event’s 15,000 attendees safe. About 1,000 protesters attempted to disrupt the festival.

It came after events in Incheon and Jeju were marred by counter-demonstrations and ugly clashes by consek^xvP8QInm2kqXJq_7M30h6HHN%vpx6ck@sYuZd7W^6cH-DPBmrvative Christians.

A local transgender rights group on Friday accused the Busan government of essentially banning the evengh(8z*inU$HMQ@n8fXY3@$c5w1CaD-@Bo6&7$zvC1V&Bvo!_#rt. According to Rashid, they accused police of contravening the constitutional right to freedom of assembly.

"To the queer people, including all transgender peopleZtQ8C12r(2bT1_J2wy6n97JqXqLY%zrR+H!pLQvhDDnH=PNzo= in Busan, and to the Busan Queer Culture Festival planning team, we offer our consolation and solidarity,” the rights group wrote on Facebook.

"And one thing's for sure. We will smile,E9EoaB536iH)^5lEh#+a9VNH5LeNAF=VjnTUxtIdMPO*bGOCSY and meet again."