Petition to cancel Seoul Pride reaches 216,000 signatures
More than 216,000 people have signed a petition asking President Moon Jae-in to cancel the Seoul Queer Culture Festival, a three-day Pride celebration in the heart of the South Korean capital. The festival is set to turn 19 this year and has art installations and its own film festival.
“We do not want to see their abominable events in a square where we should be able to rest and relax,” reads the petition. “Every year, queer-themed events such as street performances, drinking, and smoking are called ’cultural festivals,’ but they are just occasions filled with illegal acts and hypocrisy.”
This is not the first time the festival has faced cancelation. In 2015, organisers of the Queer Culture Festival had to go to court to overturn a police ban. However, in 2017, attendance for the festival reached record highs.
South Korea has a checked history with LGBT+ rights. While homosexuality is legal, as well as the age of consent being equal between both heterosexuals and same-sex attracted people, religious organisations have stood in the way of marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws. In 2017, under public pressure, President Moon Jae-in said in a televised debate that he opposed homosexuality.
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