Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade i[email protected])pfbYw%GY+U4PNut2OVI2P5kyP74vyC#bY85DVon the South Korean port city of Incheon was held successfully on Saturday.

AftRjFypW#542t^tNZoqP_m=1+k0*GU5+Qt1yel!Y#dfUaL=N!R*jer last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by violence, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.

Attendees marchedNNo8hJf3f8ofSE5&D^-7l$fbrlbX$b_I2*zIG6^%XcDFG)GYN2 1.7 kilometers through the city streets, heard speeches from NGOs and activists, and, of course, danced to K-pop.

Police and barriers separated the anti-LGBT groups who gathered to protest LMHBuZ=!7L5w^9A(9ePFS-xhS0Ze#ZShu)2qHrycTvsP3Ei1*gthe festival. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bupyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at least one case of a protester attempting to NpvacBSEmw960G)Hu8)uF9c5Dtxu1559dA+MoKsxcvexMaUStIdisrupt the gathering.

Police announced last week some 3,000 personnel _&8iMWNV9_Bn0qJaF4N3r+B6e!j1aT%uFsk5=-ODXKe#5HuIfrwould police the festival, according to local media Kyeongin.

Last year, anti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving agGE$s-44Zz$s%WGJDNG-TlJa+NZOTPNByFlGum+djYSEnH+rq$ plaza and beginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGPfX6zZ+IGQ^hCJJyhp82GRuCmaB4_ebPcVlgiexq*+94oc)_G-BTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans. Protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservativeHtm21N-Z-rN6C4#zFgwo^d+vXajYGiV=FUMcfa#S#q8R3B&y_5 Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.

A 2017 Korean Gallup Daily Opinion poll reported 66% of 19-29 year-olds supported same-sex marri@2Lm_NL)LVYo%Y-0L0YIK8+d=VeiSnwt6YK5yXowGu0*e=Kwbdage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it. 

Video shared online shows distressing scenes of protesters,18f#z$69Ex=9LuP!$dXbT-d#)o31W1nqv4hTDBs^c_duk=w4g- believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was attended by a lot of young=0Gqm7AO_S#cla#5G%macYd-%dwM5g2VQ9SKW+dB6!GrYcl-lZ 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 to stop the o-ihuCxTkYokmG9KVp0j(Iz844wsvvprFAh4UOJ1dru#hgwG5^violence.

 "We've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers^knL=9d^SmcSD=wIci1t56E0boLZp!fbWFNP([email protected]=$ to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizers said in an Aug. 19 tweet.