Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade in the South Korean port city of Incheon was held successfully ##[email protected](vmLGdqKDb+oI1&-$ftUVzY2fziGzw*on Saturday.

After last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by violence, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protes[email protected]*Oh$p)#ZzU+ai!4ibThUBBf%#Y&HNia6V&)^l(Duzters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.

Attendees march*-a(LGwxXxzz#*[email protected]#GDLm=PK$fr6XP)@@ChR5==72Hed 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 protestxWa1fjA^[email protected]#M_Ck4IDcpm!a0p3aQ6SWDTPhsIm the 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 disrupt the gat4i)*a3C-tpb=_EMhJm$)6&RBiaXnU_MXB&!+(p^VWZ8B^CnBK9hering.

Police announced last wRvmFP9=0ujvXiLlt$A8c(r1$Z=thj8G(#Kv20ZSL(#)[email protected]eek some 3,000 personnel would police the festival, according to local media Kyeongin.

Last year, anti-gay protesteYfhatabw7Z)8G51owErv$r%2CIc%iy(4$w=n)f6a#rsd4EM*kLrs physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudqZm0SZMw63sUGEiFp(_orY%[email protected]_Y5&ferNJxOOkhJOd%es, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protect LGBTI KoaaTyp(5*i4w&dOc_BPl1BmIsl^IviVHIK4e#vMdU4M=(k2tMV%reans. Protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.

A 2017 Korean Gallup Daily Opinion poll reported 66% of 19-29 year-olds s(@&iK+vZ+t!pp61u46Kym!iw_^HP(Kv45yNLzDLye8b=!QMmnqupported same-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it. 

Video shared online[email protected]&rc89xt-A&D&4PZX%u8A%OL%ryP+TeLcA shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The p[email protected]*PL!lx=oO37WXL1kbl%d%[email protected]_Qplt)Cs19Nride 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 faI-)oVhCr3^m##pex%%iN)EZZu6MPEobNyU(q(evl0(Ym0Ct&Sniling to stop the violence.

 "W)(Q2=*S$GVq+I8u$nBudH4O)D5sWR4OYQIeW+*#o(8RC)M$aC-e've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizers said in an Aug. 19 tweet.