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| U.S. ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg, left, delivers a speech during the 2022 Seoul Queer Culture Festival at Seoul Plaza, Saturday. Goldberg reaffirmed the strong commitment of the U.S. to stop discrimination. Yonhap |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
New U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg attended the Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF) at Seoul Plaza, Saturday, along with other foreign diplomats, to promote queer rights in Korea.
Goldberg reaffirmed the U.S. government's commitment to root out discrimination in society.
The U.S. envoy's participation and speech in support of the LGBTQ community in Korea was applauded by the participants of the festival, including LGBTQ people as well as their friends and supporters. The festival returned after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Envoys from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, European Union, Sweden, Ireland, the U.K., Canada, Finland, Australia and the U.S. appeared on stage together holding a large rainbow banner that read, "Diplomats for LGBTI+ Rights." Each of them gave a short speech advocating the rights of sexual minorities, diversity and inclusion.
Goldberg, who was the last among the envoys to speak, introduced himself as the new U.S. ambassador to Korea and said he wanted to be part of the festival even though he just arrived in the country this week.
"It is the strong commitment of the United States to ending discrimination, wherever it occurs, and to ensuring that everyone is treated with respect and humanity," Goldberg said.
"We simply cannot leave any of you behind... We are with you. We are going to fight with you for equality and human rights."
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| U.S. ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg, left, shakes hands with an official from the British Embassy as he visits a booth set up jointly by several foreign diplomatic missions at the 2022 Seoul Queer Culture Festival at Seoul Plaza, Saturday. Captured from Twitter |
Goldberg also tweeted a photo of him visiting the U.S. Embassy's booth, co-organized with the British Embassy, at the SQCF and wrote, "No one should be discriminated against because of their identity. I join with (U.S. President Joe Biden) in standing with the LGBTQI+ community and applaud all those working to advance the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons in Korea."
Goldberg's participation in Korea's largest LGBT festival faced opposition from Christian and far-right groups who held protest rallies against the queer festival across the street. Shouting into loudspeakers, the protesters criticized the embassies taking part in the festival and especially denounced the U.S. ambassador for supporting queers.
The groups already held rallies against Goldberg in front of the U.S. Embassy Seoul upon his arrival, claiming that the diplomat is a homosexual.
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