[Current & Culture]The Commonality Between Homosexuality and Brown Eyes

According to the theory of evolutionary psychology, disgust originated from the survival instinct. When humans were ignorant and vulnerable, somewhere deep in the ecosystem, they developed behavioral patterns of fearing and rejecting other beings to protect themselves, and this habit was engraved in their genes over a long period of time.

As humans grew stronger and formed civilizations, the laws and orders they created often contradicted the instincts engraved in their genes since primitive times. The institution of marriage, which forms the foundation of the family, is one such example. The same goes for disgust. Although it was a protective mechanism that once safeguarded primitive humans, it is now a taboo and a crime in this era. Humans are no longer so weak or ignorant as to attack others simply because they are different. Yet, there are still quite a few people who cherish the instincts from the primitive era.

Recently, I had an interview with a person named ‘Nabi’ who is active in a parents’ group for sexual minorities. In her case, her daughter Han-gyeol underwent surgery and went through a lengthy legal process to become legally recognized as a male, that is, her son Han-gyeol. To briefly explain for readers unfamiliar with basic knowledge about sexual minorities, unlike gays or lesbians who are sexually attracted to the same sex, Han-gyeol is a transgender person who identifies as a different gender from the body they were born with. To be more precise, terms like bigender, panromantic, asexual, and others would be used, but I will omit detailed explanations.

Among many stories I heard from Han-gyeol’s mother Nabi, I especially want to share the scene where her grandchild came out directly to his grandfather. He was not her biological father but her father-in-law, and it seems he was a kind father-in-law who kept in touch with his divorced daughter-in-law for quite some time. As you might guess from this relationship, the grandfather gave a lot of love to his grandchild Han-gyeol, and Han-gyeol was particularly close to him among the family members. Facing the situation where he had to ask the grandfather to treat him as a grandson rather than a granddaughter was truly... worrying, especially considering the grandfather’s advanced age and the fear that he might disown him. When Han-gyeol revealed everything, the grandfather embraced his grandchild, whom he had thought was a granddaughter, and said, “It’s okay, Han-gyeol. But you don’t have to change your name, right?”

Many people still misunderstand that homosexuality is a choice. Just as one cannot choose black hair or blonde hair, white skin or black skin, blue eyes or brown eyes, people are simply born that way. Many sexual minorities make relentless efforts to live as ordinary heterosexuals, but no matter how hard they try, it cannot be changed. Therefore, they are neither subjects for ranking nor for judging right or wrong. Can you say someone with blue eyes is wrong? Is a husky voice inferior to a clear voice? No one should be hated or insulted because of a high nose or short fingers. For the same reason, sexual minorities should not be hated. That is something only barbarians do, yet many still do it. Not long ago, Sergeant Byeon Hee-soo, exhausted by the barbarity of our society, took her own life. I sincerely hope our society evolves a little more.

The stories of Nabi and Han-gyeol, as well as another sexual minority, Yejun, and his mother Vivian, are also featured in a documentary titled The Road to You. The copyright is expensive, so I couldn’t even think of obtaining it, but I overlay the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by the band Queen on the film in my mind.

Lee Jae-ik, Novelist

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