16th Pride Parade, Seoul, South Korea

[+ quoththeraven]

http://i0.wp.com/seoulbeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160612_seoulbeats_seoulprideparade2016_afp.jpg?w=620

(Source)

 

Saturday's Pride Parade in Seoul, South Korea attracted its largest crowd ever - 50,000 vs. 30,000 last year. This year's slogan was "Queer I Am." The Pride Parade kicks off a nine-day Queer Cultural Festival.

 

"I am so proud of being gay, being myself,” Han Beom-yong, 18, told The Korea Herald in excitement as he participated in the festivities. “I am just so happy! I can finally feel free as most of the people here don’t care about my sexuality!”

 

“My only wish is that people would respect sexual minorities and accept us as human beings without prejudice,” the student said, adding that he could not come out to his parents in fear that the revelation might damage the relationship with his family. “But anyhow my mother would have to accept it. I was born this way, which I never regret.”

 

The participants often confronted antigay campaigners who stood on the sidewalks of major streets shouting at marchers and holding placards reading “Homosexuality! Your children are in danger” in Korean or “Homosexuality is Sin. Return to Jesus” in English, but the revelers mostly kept their smiles, cheered and clapped in the faces of their opponents.

 

I came here to support my lesbian daughter,” said mother of film director Lee Young, waiting in a line to join the parade. “I always thought of homosexuality as someone else’s story, not mine, so I felt uncomfortable when she came out 10 years ago. But nothing changes the fact that she is my daughter, who has never disappointed me in any way, who never did anything to be blamed for.”

 

But some Protestant churches opposed the antigay movement and stood in solidarity with the LGBT community.

 

“I am enjoying the festival with my gay friends. The festival is a lot bigger than last year, with more people and performances,” said Kim Jeong Woong-Ki, a freelancer in his 40s.

 

As a protestant himself, Kim said that he was “ashamed” by the churchgoers protesting against sexual minorities, describing them as being full of hatred.

 

“I believe that Jesus taught us to respect others and coexist together in society just like a rainbow.”

 

A 32-year-old office worker, who only wanted to be identified by his surname Jung, said he had dropped by the event out of curiosity and had been scared by the unfamiliar scene. “But as I spent some time here looking at these people, I got used to it and started to enjoy the whole thing. Putting aside my personal feelings, I think all people should be entitled to being who they are."

 

["Sexual minorities" is the term most commonly used in South Korea to denote the LGBTQ+ community.]

 

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?

ud=20160612000224&RURL=http%3A%2F%2Fseoulbeats.com%2F2016%2F06%2Fthe-sunday-social-126-pride%2F#jyk

[rvwnsd]

["Sexual minorities" is the term most commonly used in South Korea to denote the LGBTQ+ community.]

 

Ya know, I kinda like it. Reminds us that we are a minority that, sadly, a decent chunk of the majority pretty much would like to see obliterated.