The Seoul Queer Culture Festival is not only a festival for LGBTQ+, but also a place to affirm the solidarity of various minority groups in society. This year’s SQCF was a place where people could reaffirm the support and solidarity of various social minorities after a three-year-long hiatus.
English Translation: 피웊
Translation review: 동치, Miguel
Writer of the original text: 레이
Review and amendments to the original text: 에스텔, Miguel
“Homosexual is a Sin. Repent. Jesus Brings Salvation.” Every year on the day of the pride march, hate groups come to plaza with banners printed with such words. Seoul Plaza, the venue of the festival, is surrounded by numerous groups of homophobic people. The plaza becomes the site that has to endure continuous hate speech. However, inside the plaza, not only queer parties but also various political, social, cultural, and religious organizations express their support and solidarity in promoting human rights for LGBTQ+. In the article, we will shed light on numerous examples of how different organizations expressed their support and solidarity.
Live On, Stand Together. And Go Onward
Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination(SADD) is probably the most talked about civic group in 2022. SADD protested on subways by simply getting on and off the subways in rush hour, shouting to ensure the right of mobility and the budget on the rights of the disabled. However, the People’s Power Party(PPP), Korea’s ruling conservative party, and Lee Jun-seok, former representative of PPP, suppressed their voice by expressing the nuance that ensuring the right of mobility for the disabled will violate the rights of other non-disabled citizens.
To take action, SADD has joined forces with various minorities to oppose all kinds of discrimination. Lee Hyung-suk who attended the festival as the representative of SADD pleaded, “SADD stands against all discrimination. Human rights must be equal for all. There are no separate Disability rights, Women’s rights, or LGBTQ+ rights. We must take action, fight, and come together to reform the unequal social structure that discriminates against the socially disadvantaged.” Also, SADD worked together with ‘Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea’ to form ‘March of Strange Solidarity’ and marched through heavy rain, holding up various slogans.
“SADD stands against all discrimination. Human rights must be equal for all. There are no separate Disability rights, Women’s rights, or LGBTQ+ rights. We must take action, fight, and come together to reform the unequal social structure that discriminates against the socially disadvantaged.”
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of Korea’s largest trade unions, has also joined ‘March of Strange Solidarity.’ The booth next to KCTU’s one was ‘Friend of Workers’ booth that provides labor counseling to mitigate the hardships of LGBTQ+ workers. ‘Friend of Workers’ is a group of probation labor attorneys. The booth also held a ‘genderless workwear experience’ where you could try on work clothes by occupation. The KCTU joined a demonstration condemning the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s discriminatory administration and urged the use of the plaza to be accepted.
The slogan for 2022 SQCF is “Live On, Stand Together, Go Onward.” In accordance with the slogan, social minorities are participating at SQCF and providing publicity of their existence, uniting together in their own ways, and advancing to eliminate discrimination of branding out-of-the-norm beings. This is contrary to the violence that is just outside Seoul Plaza, which emphasizes ‘normality.’
Reason of Religion’s Existence Shined at SQCF
Unfortunately, most of the hate groups outside the plaza are conservative religious groups. On the contrary, in the plaza, various religious communities organized inclusive actions to express love. Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Social Labor Committee participated in the booth event to give out fans with the words “We are Buddha without discrimination” and tied the five-colored threads on LGBTQ+ participants. The threads symbolize health and well-being. "Just as various colors gather to make one bracelet, our society is formed by diverse groups of neighbors living together," said Ven. Jimong, chairman of the committee. "We hope to become a healthy society where everyone lives together by acknowledging each other’s differences and looking at one other with a non-discriminatory perspective."
In addition, various Protestant groups also participated in the 2022 Seoul Queer Culture Festival. In the square, priest Min Sook-hee of the Anglican Church of Korea and pastor Kim Jeongwon of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea held a blessing ceremony for queer Christians. In particular, Rainbow Jesus, a minority Christian group, rode the group’s car and took the lead in the parade, and participants sang hymns arranged in EDM format. ‘Group of Religious People Walking with Queer Traveling Companions,’ a group that Protestant, Catholic, and Buddhist priests and believers partake in, marched peacefully with a banner saying, “We oppose all kinds of hate and discrimination in the name of religion. We unconditionally welcome and bless the Queer Traveling Companions.”
English Translation: 피웊
Translation review: 동치, Miguel
Writer of the original text: 레이
Review and amendments to the original text: 에스텔, Miguel
References (available in Korean)
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