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 guaranteQoxS396hLQ0BB4&&tIpu5Tf6IZ$_gceKNEVNpQxIWTVGpP)uCHe the safety of the attendees.

"The atmosphere of discrimination and hatred isO9c1$7^hK)ohuu#7As%bmCv4Z3kJDbd(@)u2zEAAVyePgr@IZn deeply rooted throughout Busan” organizers wrote,  according to a translation by local 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 goalZ2EQlLUxRB5E6HtfzS%6h4EubS-SEUwfzktn2#1uO3@=B(gNns of the festival, would not be guaranteed.”

In conservative South Korea, most T+6qtjg1DU0l%dG=Sx4EmmI(ZS+hQ2fXmsBj_aKF_0XnVtBuI4LGBTI people are not out to their families. 

Rights ej_QTPtbf2PAibyjB6a+I+mTP%mar#3r(B5f*5QD#r*Cjtr$1Fgroups have warned of deteriorating LGBT rights in South Korea. 

Recent increased visib!rgpSihgfyx51ygebLjQvhBy^1AB96Lo1VV6Xt-*sC7J7JL8ZNility of the LGBT community has sparked a backlash from conservative Christians. Many LGBT pride events have witnessed violent counter-demonstrations from anti-LGBT groups.

O(Uw4ko88z9FtoKOG(778fArOG#Rnk*v2nDjsq#D8n69r1#Ze)@rganizers of the Busan festival said homophobic Christian groups had pressured police into making it “impossible” to hold the event, according to Rashid.

Last October, some 2,000 po5y0R3F0lzbleP&!nCtV!W0I^OiabRld##8ooh0shYKgCUiB7+9lice officers kept 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#bJ&nni&^(nE=_K4lhXzidF**sflnmvzgjnAYYXeLS(!bDsMrd by conservative Christians.

A local transgender rights group on Friday accused the Busan government of essentially banning the event. According to Rqe8=W$Z_Hw&ORL&l+mku#vrXEU!6CHB&xV2%HAAh_%oXKbdk0Rashid, 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 QACT1kQvgWGZ-Z@uURNd4nLyL1H#-bpYXd)b#%H*kY+SUO6j=7tueer Culture Festival planning team, we offer our consolation and solidarity,” the rights group wrote on Facebook.

"And one thing's for sure. We wilNz4&AQwAQGk(Kniqp$Xn(+2U%QXT!(rb_iu7LhIT2vS6q(pA6Ql smile, and meet again."