Incheon Queer Culture Festival returns amid opposition from conservative Christians

Incheon Queer Culture Festival organizers carry a giant rainbow flag in front of Incheon City Hall after holding a press conference to announce the event, Sept. 19. Courtesy of the Incheon Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee

By Lee Hae-rin

The 5th Incheon Queer Culture Festival will return after a three-year hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday to celebrate the identity and diversity of sexual minorities despite the opposition of some conservative Christians and the local government.

Over 1,000 members of the LGBTQ community and their allies will join the festival, which will be held at the city's Joongang Park World Cup Plaza starting at noon, the organizing committee said.

The Incheon Grand Park management division, the department in charge of the venue under the Incheon Metropolitan City Government, rejected the committee's request on Sept. 28 to use the public open space.

The division cited as the reason the laws on management of urban parks, which ban “acts of severe noise and bad smells, which could be repellant to others” in public spaces.

However, the organizing committee protested that the local government's exclusive ban on the event is discriminatory, while “several festivals are taking place all over the park.” According to the committee, the division has never provided guidance on any regulations regarding noise, nor have they notified the local government of any possible noise pollution.

The committee condemned the local government's disapproval as a violation of the freedom of assembly and the right to equality and petitioned the city's human rights protection office. The office agreed that the city's rejection of their application to use the public open space infringes on the freedom of assembly and constitutes a human rights violation, Friday, and will recommend that the division eradicate its discriminatory practices.

However, as of Friday, the division was maintaining its ban, which could lead to officials imposing 100,000-won ($69) fines. The committee said that the event will take place as planned and take countermeasures against the penalty. The festival consists of booth events, stage performances and a pride parade through the neighboring streets.

Conservative Christians clash with police and participants of the 1st Incheon Queer Culture Festival at a square near Dongincheon Station on Sept. 8, 2018. Yonhap

Meanwhile, large groups of conservative Christians are expected to hold another rally in opposition to the event. Starting at 9 a.m., an estimated 1,000 demonstrators will hold an “Incheon Family Love Festival” across the street.

In 2018, the first edition of the Incheon Queer Culture Festival was disrupted due to the fierce opposition by this group at a square near Dongincheon Station. Police stationed 550 officers and 120 traffic police officials to control the clash and prevent injuries at the time.

This year, police will deploy a larger force ― 1,000 officers and 150 traffic police officials ― to secure the area.