Police in the South Korean city of Incheon are set to deploy some 3,000 personnel on Saturday to proted8db*TrSGT(QP(%^0=XcUKHz+ulO=dH59%L=R!A4m14!TKFSd!ct an LGBT pride festival and parade.

About 500 people are expected to attend the second Incheon Queer Culture Festival (IQCF) and 1.7-kilometer long pride parade.

Last year, anti-gay protesters physically blocked 300 LGBT supporters from leaving a plaza and beginning the[email protected] march.

This year, according to local media Kyeongin, 3,000 police will pYMHl9ANSw&!KlB(ygwZROf&Euuv#0)KQ%N3yKQ)sX))t0zFC+Jrotect LGBT attendees and their allies.

They will qa56)uh^HqiH8MPse0RjEDFomnFMrz7D64_styJDHhgd*!dYWwalso install barriers to separate anti-LGBT protesters from the festival.

Responding to concerns over protests earlier this month, organizers said they had prepared teams of rights activists an$CbNvv^-spxCTDrkl%AQ_W&OhjJ+VLq4iyy9%!5em6^O(8r9kFd lawyers to counter hate groups.

Anti-gay hate

HomosexualiINrRIBBeib)nhXpJNdqH&^bXjBLo9K2rRuaOcMHVrWaxolnw_=ty is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially among Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protect LGBTTMHGp^zMl*M-z$Z&Ym_bL1fZNKFpmlAST(C2OeB0SL+sm^Ij81I Koreans.

And, human rights groups have warned, protests againPK=g^)(Tctg%r*+-G_5NjzEfSRGmm(A#Xr)(n8E^#-bfS$lARJst LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violent.

Video shared onl[email protected]%KROIr!gU$i76$h0lq%08ine of last year's IQCF shows distressing scenes of protesters, believed to be conservative Christians, shouting at pride attendees.

They also appear to grab flags, banners, andKQynu(qa&=o#h5=zU_6rY1E0vPsfx(t9$S79#uhTl7Rl(T!DMa 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 viole#)N1(WH4=IkCDP6ud)[email protected]^^Ao48OcdG^=-Q4dnce.

"Drinking Buddies" invites LGBTQ members of different sexes and gender identities as well as LGBT allies to play "Drunk Bingo X Truth or Dare" with the rules: "answer the question or take a shot of vodka." The show aims to showcase the true definition of love and the diverse relationships among the rainbow families. Love will not change simply because of one's sexual orientation or gender identity.

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