Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade in hBmBjEA91IxEjbJRpwxzTFzY2hflfYP6=0iOswowzkJ4DDXOKMthe South Korean port city of Incheon was held successfully on Saturday.

Af96FWNRZR%DEzdez_Qjiy8I-5*9%-64i!d-1GXld+EJ!E94XtXster 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 marched 1.7 kilometers through the city streets, heard speeches from NGOs and ack)e1I=RGvaEnxfJ*npzK&8oDdG%b6)rqV$gX8pq!=Hsb%^+vSttivists, and, of course, danced to K-pop.

Police and barriers separated the anti-LGBT groups who z#pQttjUnc8Y_*qcofCUAl$#8epTTimS9b#^&p%LBX*OlMu5^(gathered to protest the festival. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bupyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at least one case of a p*y^[email protected])_U7V*U$y0cjhzI3IZPTt5#cn6X=tacg3b!rotester attempting to disrupt the gathering.

Police announced lpsT_LNQUgF)pOV)K*Revqz5K^XeFX#XbMcW=Qc#98qG8^rT9#%ast week some 3,000 personnel would police the festival, according to local media Kyeongin.

Last year, anti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beQtXeZCppwY#US7I=OQrln#C3K%nKN3UxPsMyX!ak*Z(6BeGiZFginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservati($cv+ZqCzaP+0rrh+lOgR%hmpk6gp)[email protected]ve attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimiyxm8ojq!wpjGG#-ly)[email protected](suLTkHJI9Rsl5hmnation legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans. Protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.

A 2017 Korean GaWsKaE)fl=A+ANl9JV(bnBd+pVmkSd+1*I96hBs)ZH6SUU)bKV#llup Daily Opinion 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 scenes of protesters, believed to be conservati2oQ(S0ncYKguWCiGn2c!ANmIpD)IWFYOwhC6w4du)1rRl2w$$Ave Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, b4s=jot4BtAvR8&APOCqcmQ53EFX1G(p4WwX-xomQLn!a01&X+hanners, 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 to stop the violeKlURWvBt(I^41N!txRl=*QGWslfG&c)[email protected]!nce.

 "We've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," orgaymJ2LV_2s28**UIcO(*kEm81#ana&BPuD#[email protected]*R$&NOs8kWvnizers said in an Aug. 19 tweet.