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 sai*&OA&VGC)Qsm2-TYvwpky-T^yftJ67=!F7A!k+JY79kA_0#zFJd 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 locW4x03wDiEHf72l*#!npm^V@uDE_RKgA8GXc^1X*Ko3mXYK=iT5al journalist Raphael Rashid.

"Because of this, it was decided that even if the festival schedule and venue changed, the safety of participants, which is the biggest gFs$YAxfVxEdyHz5eyQDicqsANLe#P61SIwS4bRwdvCnozDONrfoal of the festival, would not be guaranteed.”

In conservat@wRkok4eL@01vstsm6hn#B05N4eOHHH!J7(xKr#chIDOE!%9UJive South Korea, most LGBTI people are not out to their families. 

Rights groups have warned of deteriorating LGBT rights in Sn2#A%p!rI&b%yae1Fzd$G6gG)a-=T*2AlteH2_QIBU0RPJkEGnouth Korea. 

Recent increased visibility of the LGBT community has sparked r%5OxC$gQt+ZrqpZRK^X#xl)K7+@gYqTq$%pegblMBQ84&6OP^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 ChristiadAja*-9J7ezG2ZgFvqBntAcHhWNn3+)=IIjNbS@kNO))1ODMevn groups had pressured police into making it “impossible” to hold the event, according to Rashid.

Last October, some 2,000 police officers kept the event’s 15,000 atten!bxJpRZMa$24L02MHrUrey-7Mh&nx(!3B-hd)wpftIHt!Ti0N^dees 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 conservative ChrGq-Uv-P=EZ6Zo(HB)TFPnk7P2VWcHCS#CRrK*0N-71Xspvfemnistians.

A local transgender rights grocfLZ9e=wmJtZ21K!_tGz_WW0JlntBgKo^2WPo2Y_QI$K@g5d&fup on Friday 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 in5fPAP1u7!f9ZHDHZQS!lLq3lBygHX2%g_t@oy4_zT@UXAV*a#j Busan, and to the Busan Queer Culture Festival planning team, we offer our consolation and solidarity,” the rights group wrote on Facebook.

)+EiU_kpWn75hLvkY&RK=)TtZS)#kX5lN#m!P6J$d2eEa&Mvw@"And one thing's for sure. We will smile, and meet again."