By Kim Bo-eun
Gay rights, hardly considered an election issue in the past, emerged as a contentious issue in the 2017 presidential election. Hopes are this signals the situation for sexual minorities will improve under new President-elect Moon Jae-in.
Moon has supported banning discrimination against sexual minorities since he ran for the presidency in 2012. At that time, the legislation of a comprehensive law banning discrimination, including against sexual minorities, was one of his pledges.
On April 12, Moon told the National Assembly's committee on constitutional revision, "We need to guarantee the right to life, safety and sexual equality. We need to expand the scope of subjects against which discrimination must be banned."
However, Moon drew strong criticism when he said he opposes and does not like homosexuality on a nationally televised debate for presidential candidates on April 25.
During the debate, he said he is against discrimination against homosexuality, but does not support the legalization of gay marriage.
This generated a fierce backlash from LGBT communities, as well as the general public. They say opposition to legalizing gay marriage is also a form of discrimination. Moon apologized afterward, but refrained from making any promises to establish the law. He only cautiously commented that "social consensus needs to be reached on the issue," apparently mindful of Christian voters.
According to data from Statistics Korea, there are an estimated 13.7 million Protestants and Catholics in Korea, who account for around a fourth of the population.
A similar law was proposed in 2013, but canceled after fierce opposition from churches.
Nara Lee, chief staff member of the Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea, said regardless of who becomes president, people's perceptions of social minorities have changed as Korean democracy matures.
"The election was held due to people's demands for social ills such as inequality to be abolished, which led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye," Lee said.
"The social climate has changed. Sexual minorities themselves are revealing their identities and calling for their rights. Although Korea still has a long way to go, the fact that gay rights became an issue in the presidential campaign shows the situation has improved. The time has come for the government to start discussing more specific ways to protect the rights of sexual minorities."
At the same time, Lee said legal grounds need to be established to further promote sexual minorities' rights, including legislation banning discrimination, and the abolishment of a military penal code which criminalizes gay sex.
"We will continue to fight for these efforts," Lee said. "It is our wish that under the next administration, sexual minorities will be respected as full-fledged members of society."
Gay rights, hardly considered an election issue in the past, emerged as a contentious issue in the 2017 presidential election. Hopes are this signals the situation for sexual minorities will improve under new President-elect Moon Jae-in.
Moon has supported banning discrimination against sexual minorities since he ran for the presidency in 2012. At that time, the legislation of a comprehensive law banning discrimination, including against sexual minorities, was one of his pledges.
On April 12, Moon told the National Assembly's committee on constitutional revision, "We need to guarantee the right to life, safety and sexual equality. We need to expand the scope of subjects against which discrimination must be banned."
However, Moon drew strong criticism when he said he opposes and does not like homosexuality on a nationally televised debate for presidential candidates on April 25.
During the debate, he said he is against discrimination against homosexuality, but does not support the legalization of gay marriage.
This generated a fierce backlash from LGBT communities, as well as the general public. They say opposition to legalizing gay marriage is also a form of discrimination. Moon apologized afterward, but refrained from making any promises to establish the law. He only cautiously commented that "social consensus needs to be reached on the issue," apparently mindful of Christian voters.
According to data from Statistics Korea, there are an estimated 13.7 million Protestants and Catholics in Korea, who account for around a fourth of the population.
A similar law was proposed in 2013, but canceled after fierce opposition from churches.
Nara Lee, chief staff member of the Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea, said regardless of who becomes president, people's perceptions of social minorities have changed as Korean democracy matures.
"The election was held due to people's demands for social ills such as inequality to be abolished, which led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye," Lee said.
"The social climate has changed. Sexual minorities themselves are revealing their identities and calling for their rights. Although Korea still has a long way to go, the fact that gay rights became an issue in the presidential campaign shows the situation has improved. The time has come for the government to start discussing more specific ways to protect the rights of sexual minorities."
At the same time, Lee said legal grounds need to be established to further promote sexual minorities' rights, including legislation banning discrimination, and the abolishment of a military penal code which criminalizes gay sex.
"We will continue to fight for these efforts," Lee said. "It is our wish that under the next administration, sexual minorities will be respected as full-fledged members of society."
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