"Culture and Event" vs. "Inconvenience to Passersby": What Do You Think About the 'Queer Festival' That Became a Hot Topic in Political Discussions?

Ahn Cheol-soo and Geum Tae-seop Spark Debate on TV
Grown into Korea's Leading LGBTQ+ Festival but Opposition Remains
"What Era Is This to Discriminate Against Homosexuality?" vs "It Causes Discomfort"

On the afternoon of June 1, 2019, in front of the 'Seoul Queer Culture Festival' venue held at Seoul Plaza, citizens opposing homosexuality held an anti-queer festival rally. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Controversy has erupted over the LGBTQ+ rights festival, the 'Queer Parade.' While some argue that it has already established itself as a representative cultural event of Korea, others criticize that the excessively flashy costumes and performances do not align with the purpose of public spaces.

Amid this, the controversy has intensified as the festival became a topic during the TV debate between Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor, and independent preliminary candidate Geum Tae-seop in the Seoul mayoral by-election. In particular, the Seoul Queer Parade, held several times at Seoul Plaza, has developed into Korea’s representative LGBTQ+ festival, but conflicts have also arisen as counter-demonstrations opposing homosexuality, including some Protestant groups, have been continuously held.

On the 18th, during the 'Ahn Cheol-soo - Geum Tae-seop Seoul Mayor Candidate Unification' debate hosted by Channel A, candidate Geum mentioned that he had participated in the Queer Parade when he was a member of the National Assembly.

He then said, "Ambassadors from major countries like the United States and the United Kingdom come out and mingle in a festive atmosphere, but no Korean politicians have appeared (at the Queer Parade)," and asked, "Does candidate Ahn intend to participate?"

In response, candidate Ahn said, "Opposing discrimination is a given," but added, "Not only one’s own human rights but also the human rights of others are precious."

He continued, "If the Queer Festival is held at Gwanghwamun, some people may voluntarily come to watch, but there are also people who come with children for various reasons," and explained, "The right to refuse such things must also be respected."

As the two candidates showed differing views on the Queer Parade, this division is pointed out to reflect the differing positions of citizens on LGBTQ+ issues. Although the Queer Parade has grown into a large festival with tens of thousands of participants annually, the voices of opposition are not insignificant.

Independent preliminary candidate Geum Tae-seop (right), who is running in the Seoul mayoral by-election, is having a debate for unification with Ahn Cheol-soo, preliminary candidate of the People’s Party (left), at the Channel A building in Sangam-dong on the 18th. / Photo by Yonhap News

The Queer Parade has been held in a festival format at Seoul Plaza since 2015. However, counter-demonstrations opposing the Queer Parade have also caused conflicts with the Queer Parade side across Seoul Plaza. At the Queer Parade held in 2019, thousands gathered at anti-homosexuality rallies, including some Christian groups.

In 2018, eight people associated with the counter-demonstrations were booked on charges of obstructing the event by engaging in physical altercations with police and participants of the Queer Festival.

Such conflicts also spread online. In the same year, a petition titled 'Cancel the Queer Parade' was posted on the Blue House’s public petition board, receiving over 210,000 signatures.

Amid these circumstances, citizens’ opinions on the Queer Festival were divided. A 30-year-old office worker, Mr. A, said, "'Saying ‘If you don’t want to see the Queer Parade, hold it somewhere far away’ is clearly discrimination against homosexuality," and criticized, "In this day and age, do we still have to hear discriminatory remarks against sexual minorities in politics?"

The Seoul Queer Parade held in 2017. / Photo by Asia Economy DB

Another office worker, Mr. B (28), said, "I have seen the Queer Festival before, and I didn’t find anything particularly unpleasant. It is also a culture and an event, so I think it should be accepted."

On the other hand, a housewife in her 40s, Ms. C, said, "It’s not about hating homosexuality, but there are aspects that cause discomfort to passersby, such as wearing strange costumes or dancing in public places," and pointed out, "Since it is a place used by everyone, especially where children are present, I think it is appropriate to either exercise restraint or hold it in relatively less crowded places."

Meanwhile, candidate Geum emphasized during the debate on the 18th, "The political sphere is ignoring the voices of minorities. The Moon Jae-in administration only calculated votes and considered political gains and losses," and stressed, "What we can do from the third zone is to raise voices for the powerless, the voiceless, and those who have no party to represent them."

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