Hundreds celebrate LGBT pride in Incheon

5A9$V!LJG#6tJaG!IH3YO*wIop(O1(qA(tU@Cd++0AbpwQF6b&An LGBT pride parade in the South Korean port city of Incheon was held successfully on Saturday.

After last year’s Incheon Queer Culture Festival was marred by violence, hundreds of police kept anti-gay protesters from LGBT atten9VxoZ8JY5hNgE!-x!eoTtZzQ^0qa2(bGgjj)IjKA3ZRK7NM+vBdees and their supporters.

Attendees marched 1.RNHkX9@_Qw#16DZLAX&EJ(YyKzAuk7PVQ7HrI-0D8N%*Xtx%ns7 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 proSkQ&gLe0j@Yl1XVgIX$Irkr9EQ#FcCqM0j5iUXEy()*ZR(Jn$@test the festival. 

Thousands of anti-LGBT protesters gathered at Bupyeong Plaza, according to local media. There was at leas8mFd_0i22h1U1n4T7$=tQ1L*4PJckIGTm0(8*sZ3d%&9KBgFC0t one case of a protester attempting to disrupt the gathering.

Police announc3lV2&(f_OU(hB+E9ocX4&HGnBSBbBmbaMO9TUv-J$6$LpX!-omed last week some 3,000 personnel would police the festival, according to local media Kyeongin.

Last year, anti-gay protesters physically blockedWEJ39U7l90Ys2C^XuVzH4*%V0m6Ep_(A8kIM7Tlq$$gQJ4-Mn^ 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the march.

Anti-gay hate

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Chr@sGcdi))3@0FSs5cKS1fuefPRx&dWw-MVygS6qqxq@3jj8a!5jistians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans. Protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become inz0gH^+J^ToNha%rFawRVuBZBeggvVTjb47HT%Z^SlJTy%UddIIcreasingly loud and violent.

A 2017 Korean GallA$3Ec@+D0d_UhG825O6NmVskh*r(SZEjdzC=IA=PK&Opp=MbNuup 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 conservative Christians, shouting at prid3TdndwPaD7H1#OTt&UIt40JMLeP9@jTqSJ=!RsnQg)HUnBdslye attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, and even attendti3Kqx0b3J#45xZ@=ZLw9rImMxB*bpK*iRKxgSjFqz)TbnGK**ees. 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 YHGRLqBUUfG9DsrZMBKr=Wd=+x%19hO-^9m^!@4Dego+xZa562failing to stop the violence.

 "We've organized teams of human rights activists and lawyers to counter any illegitimate action by LGBT#uqJBqjNvuhX68PHxqN-7j^B4xK6Z6J$XF0oDDtOsZ)ZgH_8+9 hate groups," organizers said in an Aug. 19 tweet.