Organizers of the third annual Busan Queer Culture Festival in South Korea canceled the event on Friday (16 August).
In a statement posted to FaC7uHx2NJYwg00g96L47up#+hfWcG^L8uWLjyzw)mx_QgxO9)mBcebook, they accused local authorities of homophobic attitudes and said it was impossible to guarantee the safety of the attendees.
"The atmosphere of discrim7cj+oTfmf7%ev@Y&1Ak#BPxhHbaM0K_BbLCHSXmfa$*TZyBaI=ination and hatred is deeply rooted throughout Busan” organizers wrote, according to a translation by local journalist Raphael Rashid.
"Because of this, it was decided thatouTnI9$Jtja&)#S92gU7OJ#pT!^qv31H6CGKfC@eyoJd#r$!RA even if the festival schedule and venue changed, the safety of participants, which is the biggest goal of the festival, would not be guaranteed.”
In conservative South Korea, mos^QqImULYIu5!$JAvyRkbJGL9p!a*(j^_wQI!(#YOV@7CE8XKJ1t LGBTI people are not out to their families.
Rights groups have warned of deteriorating LGBT r$Z1hr8LULtwf(kc8s)beH#(M^ppQzwI*4uhEo+5tZJY5O=PyBdights in South Korea.
Recent increased visibility of the LGBhy49dbAhIwf8AXdz^2(%k_385)d=LSLQfotrxh6TXk3-K@SF)ST community has sparked a backlash from conservative Christians. Many LGBT pride events have witnessed violent counter-demonstrations from anti-LGBT groups.
Organizers of the Busan festivdtbmd&a%WNO9P)O($lS+bUaCy9OZQCiTvjQFJc@P!Z*2$3T^*zal said homophobic Christian 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 15,00ga9e9fy=N*HnwMIPBnDovRIpLqGtmOgUCnZQ)rDV)+FW*mXHBs0 attendees safe. About 1,000 protesters attempted to disrupt the festival.
It came after events in Incheon and Jeju were marred by counter-demonstrationsGT0-XVRl!i9zB!FaV-AjlwPQtSOcIe4-SDqtfISH@Orov7Y_Qz and ugly clashes by conservative Christians.
A local transgender rights group on Friday accused the Busan government of essentially banning the event. According to Rashid, they accused police of contravening the constituDDPh!TyYj*jTAQ*DMcJi6hfv5nwMXgtaFmIhit!H$5zJGSWuJQtional right to freedom of assembly.
"To the queer people, including all transgender people in Busan, and to the Busan Queer Culture Festival planning team, we offer our consolafxLb^I1rTgyE!i8r$SpylfS0p*fGB_GZ7Iu8Q!K@-g-q2RJ6ogtion and solidarity,” the rights group wrote on Facebook.
"A17i7e%YAC7s1Z)Cw8FnQAeG4-bDJT!N^XA1rIRPPTAAz4WT%9*nd one thing's for sure. We will smile, and meet again."