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 attitud71Uj%Gwd5L-$p7D8_C(8qYhIDvx0vjq-N8YyFzTJaGojWlDlrUes and said it was impossible to guarantee the safety of the attendees.
"The atmosphere of discrimination and hatred is deeply rooted throughout Busan” organizers wrote, according to a translation by local journalist Rap(ZDc0LkW%+zk!WLF19DCNYFb=OQ2gYDIXLK1tHQnDMzUAFzbTihael Rashid.
"Because of this, it was decided that even if the festival schedule and venue changed, ScQ+TYj5*levsqlWgJpmH#AVA*b!x-Y(i!f4TQ5EdX0I!2zk(Hthe safety of participants, which is the biggest goal of the festival, would not be guaranteed.”
In conservative South Korea, most LGBTI people are not out to their fsA!TJWoitrjvwOk#LyadcX28PkmHf6V%nRQ-sc*Uk!fjmXwtoRamilies.
Rights groups have warned Y_0FrNhcNNY2L6z0)pw0d@L#PM_PPT=BS32krPBqyrUY(x$XV)of deteriorating LGBT rights in South Korea.
Recent increased visibijUbYVsyTE&(hveD%uz2YvA_7i2dEbnA%6NXC=Xx8IZ)lkG%ZD1lity 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 homophobfnO(@qYyLFY+PmTS2cWiSg@k&qu5%$8c@cQZ9Bzy5@3vY*m9iXic Christian groups had pressured police into making it “impossible” to hold the event, according to Rashid.
Last October, some 2,000 police officers kept the event’s 15,000 attendees safe. About 1,000lNDw7Ea$vgtt3yYh@cV-vN=gLu)*dA@7ir5&ItO=jyQjc2X8VK protesters attempted to disrupt the festival.
It came after events in Incheon and Jeju were marred by counteE(xY*JlqP0obiSye-M0hiej9H3oL*wVm0&u#OeS29b4v=t(GK1r-demonstrations 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 constitutionavLb8IuCgvFw3R*V*cb!b+R_%^Uf(Bu$FO#czS+fB+YOvSR*s@Ll right to freedom of assembly.
"To the queer people, including all transgender=QUq4p_H^Vp)wX4h@V8k-Wl3%NO9EzxgvzyWw38^X!7tV-H!Mz people 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*P!H2-KZ6euKM1YG@SUrmMqwVJiR9RzdbBQlyi-osEw+H=fv3p's for sure. We will smile, and meet again."