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| / Courtesy of Rachel Stine |
By Jon Dunbar
An ironic image ended up embodying this year's Korea Queer Culture Festival (KQCF). Standing in front of a line of Christian protesters bearing a banner reading "Homosexuality is sin! Return to Jesus!" was a bearded white male in robes, clearly dressed as "Jesus," holding a rainbow-colored sign reading "I'm cool with it." The image went viral, making the front page of Reddit Tuesday morning.
"It's been a wild ride these last few days. I thoroughly enjoy reading the comments everywhere though," said Robert Evans, 27, the American seen in the picture.
He recalls the picture was taken right before the pride parade departed Seoul Square. The festivalgoers were corralled by riot police, protecting them from Christian protesters. The protesters were gathered in front of the Hwangudan gate right next to the gate leading to the street where the parade would start.
"There were thousands and thousands of people just outside the frame of this photo but I guess nobody wanted to get too close to the protesters," Evans said. "I took the opportunity to fill that space and present my message. I was aware of the banner behind me but I did not craft my sign with the specific intent of standing in front of that banner."
Several photographers captured the scene, juxtaposing Evans' Jesus with the Christians behind him.
Rachel Stine snapped the picture that went viral, while waiting for the parade to start. She did not know Evans at the time, and didn't help pose him.
"When I saw Rob in front of the protesters, I thought it would make for a hilarious picture," she told The Korea Times. "The contrasting elements made it an interesting subject -- the warm, bemused Jesus versus these screaming, raging protesters...it was funny, but also thoughtful on Rob's part. I wasn't thinking anything other than, 'I have to make sure no other festivalgoers are in the frame' and 'I hope Jesus guy lowers his sign so I can get the protest banner in the shot!'"
Having left her Nikon D5300 at home due to the rain, she captured the image on her iPhone 5S. She uploaded it to Facebook from the subway after. TBS eFM DJ Kurt Achin shared it on Instagram with her permission, and from there it went viral, spreading back to Facebook and onto Reddit, under the title "My buddy winning the day at Seoul Pride this weekend."
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| / Courtesy of Ray Salcedo |
Its popularity took its photographer aback. "At first, I thought: 'It's just a funny picture, not an artistic statement,' but reading some of the messages I got, I realized the photo really did impact people in a positive way," Stine said. "It makes me feel honored people took time out of their day to share my photo so widely. I don't care about my name being attached to the picture; I just want people to discuss the message it carries."
Evans first attended KQCF in 2015. He wore neon swim trunks and a tiny tank top to show his solidarity.
"I was taken aback by how much love and positive energy was flowing around the festival," he recalled. "I also walked around all the protesters. The chants and signs and level of hate was incredibly intense. As a straight Western male, I had never felt so much group-hate directed right at me, and I was literally moved to tears."
Evans is heterosexual but considers himself an LGBT ally. "I strongly feel it is important to stand up for their equality and human rights," he said. "LGBT rights are human rights."
For this year's festival, he wanted to do something to "diminish the effect of the hate-filled protesters." Raised Catholic but now identifying as secular humanist, he chose to dress as Jesus, with whom he bears a slight resemblance due to his beard and long hair. "I wanted my message to be concise, simple, and in juxtaposition to that of the protesters all while showing support for my many LGBT friends," he said. "I was not worried about offending (the protesters) with my positive presentation. I am confident most people see this photo as a welcome sign of love and acceptance."
He wasn't the only "Jesus" at the parade -- Evans recalls seeing two others there.
"Jesus -- whether you consider him the son of god, a historical figure, or simply a folk hero -- was all about love," Stine said. "Those protesters aren't really showing love to their fellow humans, are they? Love does this funny thing where it transcends judgment, hatred, politics...everything. That's why it's the most powerful thing in life."
The 2017 18th KQCF offers more events until Sunday. Visit kqcf.org for more.
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