Tens of thousands of South Koreans to celebrate Pride, despite negative reactions | National

Tens of thousands of LGBTQ South Koreans and their supporters are expected to gather in central Seoul for annual Pride celebrations on Saturday, despite the event’s traditional venue being banned by authorities for the second consecutive year.

Same-sex marriage remains unrecognized in South Korea, and activists have long stressed the need for legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.

This year’s Pride Parade, one of Asia’s largest, was denied permission to gather in Plaza Seoul in front of City Hall, where the main festivities traditionally take place.

Conservative Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said he “personally cannot agree with homosexuality”, but city officials blamed a scheduling conflict and said the venue had already been booked for an outdoor event themed around books.

Instead, it’s taking place on the streets of central Seoul, with businesses and organizations including the US embassy, ​​IKEA and Amnesty International set to attend to show their support.

According to Pride organizers, three other venues run by the Seoul city government, including the Seoul Museum of History, were also banned from being used for the festival’s side events due to “causing social conflict”.

The event marks its 25th anniversary this year, but preparing for the annual celebration has not been easy, organizers said.

“Severe lack of resources in relation to its large scale, and the ever-worsening discrimination by the Seoul city government, were significant challenges,” said chief organizer Yang Sun-woo.

Nearly a quarter of South Korea’s population of 52 million is Christian, and churches continue to be a significant political arena, particularly for lawmakers.

Attempts to pass laws banning discrimination based on sexuality have stalled for more than a decade, with lawmakers under pressure from conservative and religious organizations.

Queer festivals have often been targeted by evangelical Christian groups, who have thrown water bottles and verbally abused Pride marchers and tried to block their route by lining the streets.

“The anti-discrimination law has not been passed for 17 years, and finding politicians who publicly address the rights of sexual minorities is becoming more and more difficult,” said Hyeonju, another festival organizer.

“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the human rights of sexual minorities in South Korean society are regressing (rather than meeting) global standards,” Hyeonju added.

Chang Suh-yeon, a human rights lawyer and LGBTQ activist, said it is “really remarkable” how the annual event persists despite the backlash.

But the fact that the festival still “cannot freely secure venues in 2024 reveals the level of human rights in South Korea,” Chang added.

Participants, estimated to number around 150,000, according to organizers, are scheduled to participate in side events and march through the main streets of central Seoul in the afternoon.

cdl/mtp