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The Itaewon outbreak has exposed the rampant homophobia that is deeply embedded in South Korean society. Not only homophobia but discrimination against all minorities and vulnerable people.
Put simply, it& #39;s a PR disaster for the Korean government.
Put simply, it& #39;s a PR disaster for the Korean government.
Let& #39;s be honest: everyone knew South Korea was not welcoming when it comes to LGBTQ people. But that& #39;s as far as it went. Luckily, headlines abroad were until now dominated by the likes of K-pop, sometimes drowned out by North Korea, and recently, coronavirus efforts and success.
I& #39;ve been documenting this discrimination against social/sexual minorities over the past few years, and in many instances, they fail to make English news, let alone grab mainstream media headlines domestically. Here are a few very recent examples:
1) A student had to quit his course because he wore make-up and was asked by the professor whether he was gay. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea determined it was discrimination after student filed petition. But that& #39;s as far as it goes. https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1074676596374614016?s=20">https://twitter.com/koryodyna...
2) A Brazilian football player had his contract cancelled after just 1 day after he allegedly tested positive for HIV. That doesn& #39;t mean he was gay, but in Korea gay = HIV = AIDS = shame. https://medium.com/@koryodynasty/korean-football-club-discloses-new-brazilian-footballers-hiv-status-cancels-contract-611c2188053b">https://medium.com/@koryodyn...
3) A pride festival in Incheon was severely paralysed by violent homophobic protesters who beat people up just because they held a rainbow flag. Many attendees were left traumatised. https://medium.com/@koryodynasty/one-year-after-hateful-attacks-incheon-pride-regroups-for-celebration-of-love-9f5cbb43ee68">https://medium.com/@koryodyn...
4) University students were punished/suspended from class for wearing rainbow-coloured clothes in chapel class. https://medium.com/@koryodynasty/students-punished-for-wearing-rainbow-colors-file-lawsuit-against-university-5e2430c5da3f">https://medium.com/@koryodyn...
5) An HIV-positive inmate was put into solitary-confinement because "other inmates "could not share the same space as those with AIDS." https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1159073432375459841?s=20">https://twitter.com/koryodyna...
6) There& #39;s been a gay witch-hunt in the South Korean military. Some cases in the past of soldiers being sent to mental hospitals for being gay. https://medium.com/@koryodynasty/gay-witch-hunt-resumes-in-south-korean-military-a5355393a709">https://medium.com/@koryodyn...
7) Politicians have tried deleting the only mention of sexual minorities in South Korean law. The bill was submitted in November. https://medium.com/@koryodynasty/korean-politicians-attempt-to-delete-lgbtq-from-law-c2a38ba0ec15">https://medium.com/@koryodyn...
8) South Korean President Moon Jae-in& #39;s remarks about opposing homosexuality/same-sex marriage while being against discrimination certainly don& #39;t help. https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1196776282039582720?s=20">https://twitter.com/koryodyna...
I& #39;m sure you can see a pattern: S. Korean society does not accept LGBTQ people despite its sparkling image abroad. It& #39;s suffocating for many. I know/knew many who have thought about killing themselves/have killed themselves/ depressed/ on medication/ rejected by families etc.
Yet all is fine because discrimination is not illegal. Homophobia and all forms of discrimination continue to go unchallenged, without any legal repercussions. And don& #39;t get me started on education.
A first step would be criminalising discrimination. https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/South-Korea-must-fight-the-homophobia-hindering-coronavirus-battle">https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/S...
A first step would be criminalising discrimination. https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/South-Korea-must-fight-the-homophobia-hindering-coronavirus-battle">https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/S...
