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Tag: Korean Queer Culture Festival

  • The success of Korean Pride 2015

    The success of Korean Pride 2015

    One of the oldest prides in Asia, the Korean Queer Culture Festival (KQCF) just completed its 16th run this year and its success cannot be overstated. The opening slogan was ‘Queer Revolution!’ and with the turnout and enthusiasm that surrounded the 3 week-long event, it looks like this revolution will not stop just because the festival came to a close.

    The festival which consisted of various activities over 28 days was attended by many. The parade alone saw as many as 30,000 people in attendance. That is the highest attendance the KQCF has ever received. It is also the longest parade ever in the history of KQCF, starting from the Seoul Tiffany Square to Sogongro. That makes the parade route a 2.6km celebration.

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    There were many small victories for KQCF this year which lead to the overall success of the event. Apart from having the greatest attendance and longest parade route thus far, the Transgender Flag made its first appearance ever in the history of KQCF. It was flown in front of the parade with the parade leader. The first transgender group joined the parade in 2013. Only this year did they decide to make a flag to wake proudly in the parade.

    Despite the various disturbances from hate groups, organisers report that there was an increase in attendance. More people came in order to show their support for the sexual minorities and actively resist the hate groups present.

    While some in the local community that were not supportive of the events, there were many in the international community who lent their support. More than 100 organisations from 13 different countries were part of the parade. Several Embassy staff from Germany, France and Finland embassies even came down in support and have a fun day. The support from foreign dignitaries is very heartening according to organisers. Organisers commented that because of this support, future plans hope to include expatriates and the international community more. “We will try to give the special moments to all LGBTQ” organisers say. It looks like no one will ever be excluded if you attend KQCF in the coming years.

    International support did not just come from individuals and organisations who are based in Korea. With social media and the powers of online journalism, more global attention has been given to KQCF. Participants were actively showing their pride on twitter, facebook and Instagram. And so the hashtag #kqcf2015 was born.

    Word of their struggles and the resistance they faced spread like wildfire. Various journalism sites picked up the story. These include Buzzfeed.com, Forbes.com, thediplomat.com, Simplysxy.com (of course!) and many more.

    The Koreans really want their revolution. They refused to be silenced. And it seems that the world is listening.

    Image courtesy of KQCF
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  • One of the Oldest Pride Event in Asia – Korea Pride

    One of the Oldest Pride Event in Asia – Korea Pride

    Every Summer, Pride Season comes around. People from all over the world, celebrate being LGBTQ in different ways with various festivals. South Korea is no exception. The first Korean Queer Culture Festival (KQCF) was held in 2000 and has been an annual event ever since.

    This year will be the 16th year the event has been carried out. This year the festival will have many events, including a film festival, a party, forum and exhibition representing the LGBTQ culture of Korea. Last year 20,000 citizens had a attended the festival and more are expected to be in attendance at the Seoul Queer Parade held in Seoul Plaza on June 28th 2015.

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    However, like many similar festivals, the Korean Queer Culture Festival has faced resistance. In 2014, anti-LGBT and Christian conservative groups laid in front of the parade route, delaying the parade for over 4 hours. This year, these groups directly blocked the use of the event venue by applying for public use permits before the Korean Queer Culture Festival Organisers.

    In addition, this year’s opening ceremony was delayed by the protesters rallying in the streets, causing a delay. The organisers say that participants have not reacted negatively to the hate protests. While the words may hurt, they have not used violence against anyone protesting against them. The opening ceremony this year was delayed but not stopped as participants waited for the event to continue. The organisers say that participants were proud to be part of the movement and despite the backlash they were receiving did not seem deterred from continuing with the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was described to be a success regardless of being jeered on by the anti-LGBTQ protesters.

    Despite the resistance, according to a recent study by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, there appears to be less resistance to homosexual between the years 2010 and 2014. In addition, young people seem to be more accepting of LGBTQ culture. This encouraging statistic only encourages the organisers to continue on in bring LGBTQ issues into light in Korea. They have been using social media to advertise and bring about awareness as well as share news, information and event details to the public. This social network they have built seems to have allowed them to reach a great number of people, spreading the word and bringing about a greater acceptance for LGBT issues in Korea.

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    The organisers emphasise ‘togetherness’ in their campaigns and outreach. They understand that the LGBTQ community in Korea still fear being exposed to the society due to the discrimination present. They hope that KQCF will be a safe, peaceful and fun process for all participants. They want to LGBTQ people to be recognised under the same human rights as the rest of the people in Korea.

    Organisers are optimistic, hoping that Korean society will change. As the month goes on they will be continuing with their many events around the festival, hoping to increase awareness, fosters a healthy understanding of the queer culture as well as create a safe environment for the LGBT community to express themselves in.

     For more information please visit http://www.kqcf.org/

    Image courtesy of Korean Queer Culture Festival
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