Around 50,000 people demonstrated again at a street festival in the South Korean capital of Seoul for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. The highlight of the festival was the annual “Seoul Queer Parade”, in which the participants paraded through the city center of the ten million metropolis despite the sweltering heat. Many participants came in colorful costumes and waved rainbow flags. The street festival near City Hall Square was organized by the South Korean LGBTQ community. The festival and parade were accompanied by strong police security.
For the first time since 2015, participants in one of the largest Pride parades in Asia were unable to gather in the square in front of Seoul City Hall that had previously been used for the celebrations – a rally of thousands of counter-demonstrators took place there. They shouted “No same-sex marriage” and held up signs reading “Marriage is a bond between a man and a woman.”
Diplomatic missions exercise solidarity
Last month, MPs introduced a law recognizing same-sex partnerships to the South Korean parliament, which is now being discussed in a committee. In the past 15 years, numerous attempts to pass laws against discrimination against sexual minorities had failed. Conservative and Christian groups in particular are exerting pressure on this issue.
Numerous ambassadors from other countries therefore declared their solidarity with the participants of the queer festival. “By participating in this festival, we want to express our unwavering support for the Korean LGBTQ community,” German Ambassador Michael Reiffenstuel said in a YouTube video. The German embassy, along with other legations, also organized an information stand, which was located alongside almost 60 other stands from various groups, organizations and associations.
sti/se (afp, dpa)
Source: DW
