"Minority Pressure" vs "COVID-19 Concerns" Queer Festival Held, What Do You Think?

"Opposition to Queer Festival" Blue House Petition Gains 80,000 Supporters in One Day

Participants of the 18th Queer Culture Festival held in 2017 at Seoul City Hall Plaza are marching on the street. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The schedule for the 21st Seoul Queer Culture Festival, which was postponed twice due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), has been confirmed for September, but conflicts surrounding the event continue. The Queer Festival is the largest LGBTQ+ festival in South Korea and was originally scheduled to be held in May but was postponed twice due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

With the schedule reconfirmed, voices opposing the event are rising on platforms such as the Blue House's public petition board. Critics argue that pushing ahead with the festival amid the COVID-19 situation is selfish and irresponsible. There are also calls to cancel the event altogether.

According to the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee (Organizing Committee), the 21st Seoul Queer Culture Festival will be held over 12 days from September 18 to 29 this year.

The event, initially planned for May, was postponed once to June as COVID-19 cases continued to emerge. After another postponement, the date was finally set for September.

The Organizing Committee stated, "This year's festival will be reorganized and held in a new and safe way according to the guidelines of the quarantine authorities," and that detailed plans will be announced sequentially.

As this news became known, some netizens expressed concerns about the possibility of COVID-19 infection. Since many people will gather, there is concern that social distancing and other quarantine rules may not be properly followed, and if someone tests positive, it may be difficult to trace their movements due to the large number of people involved.

One netizen said, "I don't know how it will be conducted, but if it involves a large gathering of people, I want to oppose it," adding, "The coronavirus is causing a huge impact not only in our country but worldwide. What will happen if there is a confirmed case when many people gather?"

They continued, "Especially asymptomatic carriers may not realize they are infected. Ultimately, they unknowingly spread the virus. If that happens, all participants will be at risk, and the social impact will be greater," urging, "If the festival proceeds in a way that gathers people, it should be postponed. Please seriously reconsider holding the event this year."

On the 20th, a petition titled "Opposing the 21st Seoul Queer Culture Festival" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture

On the 20th, a petition titled "Oppose the 21st Seoul Queer Culture Festival" was posted on the Blue House public petition board. As of 10:30 a.m. on the 21st, the petition had received over 80,480 signatures.

The petitioner mentioned the festival schedule reconfirmed for September, stating, "Due to the COVID-19 situation, institutions and organizations have voluntarily canceled all official gatherings for prevention, and the government is minimizing or regulating all meetings," and criticized, "At this time, it is incomprehensible that the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee insists on going ahead with the event as usual this year."

They added, "Even though the event is in September and the organizers say they will reorganize it in a new and safe way according to the quarantine authorities' guidelines, COVID-19 still exists in our daily lives," emphasizing, "At this point, announcing a large-scale event so extensively without any consideration is itself incomprehensible."

They further criticized, "The government and Seoul city announcing the Queer Festival while COVID-19 has not ended is extremely selfish," and urged, "Please cancel the festival immediately."

Last June, participants who finished the 'Seoul Queer Culture Festival,' a sexual minority festival, were parading at Seoul Plaza.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Separately, there are criticisms that the event should not be held due to the 'sexual explicitness' of the Queer Festival. In past events, some participants marched wearing only underwear or in a state of partial nudity, leading to criticism that such events are inappropriate for public facilities.

In May last year, 17 Seoul city officials issued a statement requesting the city to reject applications for queer events in Seoul Plaza.

The statement included content suggesting that the Queer Culture Festival is not wholesome and causes discomfort. There was also an argument that if events for sexual minorities are necessary, they should be held in indoor gymnasiums where access by children and adolescents is difficult.

On the other hand, there is a view that the festival provides an opportunity to think about equality and freedom for sexual minorities.

Han Chaeyoon, Executive Director of the Beyond the Rainbow Foundation, said at a related press conference in 2018, "When the parade was first held in Seoul Plaza in 2015, there was indeed a debate about whether it was appropriate to hold the parade in the plaza," adding, "I hope it becomes an opportunity to think about how to talk about the equality and freedom of discriminated minorities."

Meanwhile, some Christian or conservative groups have voiced opposition through counter-demonstrations at related events such as the Queer Parade every year.

At the 2014 Seoul event, counter-demonstrators blocked the parade, resulting in a standoff on the road for over four hours, and in 2015, conservative Christian groups blocked the opening ceremony, causing a one-hour delay.

At the 2016 Queer Festival, counter-demonstrators attempted to disrupt the event or lay down on the road, causing disturbances. In 2017, during the parade, some counter-demonstrators protested or blocked the march.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.