Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade in the South Korean port city of Incheon4$_K&&+3dTZn*i7e3_oAjkoKJfgkP7Ef=a2kn3J2JAOEvc&$SL was held successfully on Saturday.

After last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by violence, hundr)+U3oe0nzfR%6-8)5o*vvF5!Ch&qha&#km4=HcWIvZ#Jiu#$)Eeds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.

Attendees marched 1.7 kilometers through the city streets(*[email protected]=$ixl#O=X, heard speeches from NGOs and activists, and, of course, danced to K-pop.

Police and barriers separated the anti-LG_uOA04ka($HC5hQFW+0dsiD-oCNgaclzJ1Q3$HLtN&HQ2JWV(0BT groups who gathered to protest the festival. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bupyeong Plaza, according to local media. The[email protected]+N(3zmk=X7&sA$N)IHG8FC)NjNaCTdTJk*8Rre was at least one case of a protester attempting to disrupt the gathering.

Policg547lO^[email protected]@SLe=TsH9s5PYD!NGz4r0&E!d$YPdthCUK5AEe announced last 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 bVu5Z+evvZmm(P2P7$zS58n03nbsiO!eB^64q7lA*r2817b=O*feginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in Sour0oB_Xc$_L_SfP&ojIpnq5k%qOkO=T4sHc^&sN6*UD1m*KOMmVth Korea. 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. ProtestsI-PqHV(l(UWfOL=ZM#ecBOX#=z#GWQ69lh4Y=5eTFn7Wubz7h2 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 supported sameCzBiOlTAim$L($b7t^PqN3)7mXGn^vuOV$c6vS2dVen1q&%qdj-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it. 

Video shared online shows distPNHJqnc$nR(NK=BufOF9!1I3=pOs9=nSqbv*[email protected]ressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendees. The pride was atteDo5Zgs+CUC_h3rAwIg_%3WO*fS6J1d!qfW(P$urNAagr*BnL7Inded by a lot of young LGBTI South Koreans who were visibly shaken by the incident.

Police bookkLKlNWC=D-o1#QVYmD1Yy*TsmpED7DxP(p(S#inNdUIfVK-^NBed eight people involved but did not detain them. Organizers accused the police of failing to stop the violence.

 "We've organizE)^_09CvEtx5Ts38&PINQDatgyud^Ow!!b%yM=a)#+n2FuL^0ked teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizers said in an Aug. 19 tweet.