Intolerance of LGBTQ community troubles foreign residents
Christians protest against U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg outside the Seoul Queer Culture Festival last July 16. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
By Ellie Goodwin
Discrimination towards the LGBTQ community is a countrywide issue, with fears of ostracism and abuse motivating many individuals to hide or repress their sexual identity. It's a prejudice that foreign sexual minorities also face after arriving in Korea.
Though Korea currently has no law explicitly criminalizing homosexuality, this should not be perceived as an expression of tolerance or acceptance. Same-sex marriage has not been legalized and the anti-discrimination law has not been passed, which leaves this community vulnerable to discrimination with the awareness that legal retribution is out of reach.
“Dating is an issue for me,” Tom, a German national who has identified as gay since the age of 14, told The Korea Times. “I wish I could just go out on a date and act freely without the worry of being verbally attacked. It was something that I took for granted back home.”
Culture shock is inevitable when moving abroad and best confronted with an adaptable mindset. But that can't help when facing prejudices toward one's sexuality. Offensive attitudes towards the LGBTQ community should be seen for what they are: an infringement.
For some, the option of hiding their sexuality is a choice that they are cornered into, motivated by concerns for their own safety. Speaking to The Korea Times under the condition of anonymity, K.L., who has been living in Daejeon for almost two years, said, “It's hard to suppress such a huge part of my identity ― I can't risk being open about it because I don't know the opinions of my employer ― I could find myself out of a job.”
Instances of workplace dismissal on account of an individual's sexuality are not unheard of, and technically not illegal. Similarly, Korean conscripts can be dishonorably discharged from their mandatory military service for their sexuality and face the possibility of imprisonment.
Media coverage certainly helps combat ignorance with awareness. Since the late 1990s, Korea has seen increased coverage of same-sex relationships in television shows and films. These measures give the illusion of change when, in reality, they are a means of placating by permitting the bare minimum. Effective progress comes in the form of legislation whereby the rights and safety of the community are protected and persecutors prosecuted.
“Why have I kept my sexuality a secret? Because I don't want to get physically or verbally assaulted,” K.L added.
Gemma Lowes, 28, identifies as heterosexual, but has several LGBTQ friends in her social circle.
“I'm conflicted because I feel morally obligated to attend events like pride and show my support, but I'm also worried for my safety,” she said.
Approval for Queer Culture Festival events and their Pride Parades in Korea are a laborious fight for the organizers. Outright demands for their events to be banned through means of petitioning as well as under the guise of safety concerns have to be contested and then overturned. During the events themselves, there are often cases of violence from far-right protesters who try to disrupt their festivities.
The majority of individuals who comprise these opposition groups are religious, identifying as conservative or traditionalist Christian.
Christians anti-LGBTQ activists hide behind a giant cross near the Seoul Queer Culture Festival last July 16. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
“I went to Pride and saw Christian groups aggressively shouting into megaphones that being gay is a sin and that Korea will be crippled by AIDS because of it,” said Kiehan, a British citizen identifying as bisexual. “I saw Pride goers shoved and pushed with my own eyes.”
Motivated by the genuine assertion that it is an individual's moral obligation to condemn the LGBTQ community gives conservative religious groups the leeway to justify actions of abhorrent discrimination and harassment. Considering this, the continued absence of protective laws can only be described as a neglect of welfare.
Nisha, a practicing Christian and a supporter of LGBTQ rights, said in an interview with The Korea Times, “This type of attitude shocks me. I've grown up believing that love takes many forms, and that each is one is sacred. The idea of a God punishing love with eternal damnation goes against one of the fundamental principles of my faith.”
The discussion of whether religion and LGBTQ rights are mutually exclusive is an age-old debate and will continue to be. A raw reminder of what can happen to those who advocate for equality was seen recently in the case of Rev. Lee Dong-hwan, who was suspended by his church for holding a blessing prayer at the 2019 Incheon Queer Culture Festival.
Katie, an American citizen who came out to her family months before relocating to Korea to teach, told The Korea Times, “I feel so sorry for my Korean friends. I'm living here temporarily. When I go home, I'll be returning to a city that's accepting of gay rights and where I can be myself. My Korean friends won't ever get that chance.”
Interviewed together, Katie's friend Yussan holds a more hopeful perspective. “Things will get better ― it'll just be a slow-moving trudge. Look at Pride ― it gets more popular each year ― a few years back, it just wouldn't have been a thing here,” Yussan said. “It's a shame because I will have left Korea before the acceptance is noticeable.”
Ellie Goodwin is a teacher who has taught in schools across China, and is currently teaching in Gwangju. She also writes for
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