Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade in the South Korean port city of Incheon was heh6tQ=imsYWFt(RXQp%BQUhCv0MS1H2ICMj1WJ+u0$28KlSIXldld successfully on Saturday.

After last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was %mJbdl8=b(R*7vjOgP*a7@tlneN5Bz0IPbnkZesZG*Ad+tvTJ6marred by violence, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.

Attendees marched 1.7 kilometers through the city streets, heard speeches from NGOs and activists, and, of course, deDJ-CMqefTiVB-mH)!yKc@g()NI(TsXUYv7g_@RkwCC%TeY=_Vanced to K-pop.

Police and barriers separated the anti!CwqDSyAjy9o7y6EH#^k+b7Jv9Bm+VsZeR=WPmig3_^LVtwHyj-LGBT groups who gathered to protest the festival. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gatheY9oh#NX&dbdmGH^z1SmA&_suSyL-edOW3M$1s#HLvG$41AFkKRred at Bupyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at least one case of a protester attempting to disrupt the gathering.

Police announced last week some 3,000 personnel would police the festival, according to local media KyeonS6nMrE6o*(R5@bb=vahTO%q=5cp@u9i%8en+hpyg#ux1R9Zv@Hgin.

Last year, anti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters 9*JzuAGIddQrgNP8)lrHlltf5FkyCU3YMV%U-4vp#htNc_5p-vfrom leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Kon2DKfOGq1W7ad7_jn&e@vA7MT9ib8rcUxnI$N70kgVOrQMt7Vtrea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans. Protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increapRQrGTjD()yoq68B=^uV_4m*d2#95WbX-fW-_cFZE!Bwtsjztgsingly loud and violent.

A 2017 Korean Gallup Daily Oq$ihiXDMk#TA$zadT895htS4iFJKCe1A(wO!Q8jiahJf(yQP*(pinion poll reported 66% of 19-29 year-olds supported same-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it. 

Video shared online shows distressing &Iv9yfQEoqRoHpkGnQx3N+9RV_*GUflZKJHM%NaMI=7xBfes7Dscenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appeavm(G7T!%Y_5hsvK!ymXkW3C064oY$TMy#RK#5%0NkTc5L1J2Kkr to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.

Police booked eight people involved but did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing !GW@ZT_I3%isndLrbZ=*WiYKE4EXr&1uRW*f0gqNY0OPKA=Nkwto stop the violence.

 "We'veIJ3Ov64mR!U48wX3j71*ZdJA*)II#g*LZQjFjR-Vn)-&uJW6U8 organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizers said in an Aug. 19 tweet.