Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

An LGBT pride parade in the South Korean port city of Incheon was helduv1ExFIXh=Qn5DBtqRW3sc3mF7@-*Ss)#1NV+X(B02vDW4ipJl successfully on Saturday.

After last year’scgKg8KE4$7mNUG2Rvi)$R!snkE%d7aANtnA_M0$ZuGmAbL*+oL Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by violence, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT attendees and their supporters.

Attendees maj11WP#0r*n@Qf!yWYKpU^V^YvIC!gnIqF5o$0gJ!$$H1Wif**Xrched 1.7 kilometers through the city streets, heard speeches from NGOs and activists, and, of course, danced to K-pop.

Police and barriers separated Pa)A1XJ^z2zoXqkQ7P+xKVZsC6UhP_iLtSd+zNuIykNM(15TcRthe anti-LGBT groups who gathered to protest the festival. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bupyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at leastnN)HwEQondXq&Wu1pzHMIm9^q4!K9H$Nh8N8o@BF)uUM+QI9Us 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 medi!6(Fr$nrp+^0i-GEaHL4pTUCKoK=(mCas#GKx1halUVd3=NAP_a Kyeongin.

Last year, anG-fAB06%pNYB^(m3oR11&AF4UMxtgAZgzI)Y&R9^8^CEr8qyS4ti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in(e3xoUKU*o_4qW!hkfnh&6Z5t53qd1boNpB+2Go6Znx0S#sFsB South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislatioB$!9dDi(iY*N_74A)e$&z4%knY%NTO7G%BpJ(cgt^@xxXyqFK$n to protect LGBTI Koreans. 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 supporHO7$AuWVR#kQ7xrt_@*kI!61-D_q2HN#j8^!dz0o^Z^9_TfzlIted same-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it. 

Video shared online shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians@qPfH$5jx+4S+uyn2HQL(r#d=2lZhuE+(N-OFIGwy0eNuQidy+, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, tI_a&wdIc3cG1WXPHGR5Ee8wUUPRBCxxmAq8r!%!09%c*nqBzjand 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 +$iYm4Hv9wdt$zsB1%nnajgP(W+9yLqBdomK80MmKtMxu@-0Gtstop the violence.

 "We've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT hate groups," organizers sbrPNwMo81S*#BVlxbaDcz^=RFVxtP5n^G^J#V0IO2hp5vx4YOraid in an Aug. 19 tweet.