What was meant to be the festive opening ceremony of the Korean Queer Cultural Festival on Tuesday was mostly overshadowed by anti-LGBT protesters with signs and drums.
Tuesday was the opening of the Korean Queer Cultural Festival in Seoul. This is what its closing parade looked like last June.
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But when participants showed up for the opening ceremonies this year, this is what they found.
Simon Williams-Im / Via simonwilliamsim.dothome.co.kr
Turnout for the kickoff was sparse, in large part because organizers had discouraged people not directly involved in organizing it to attend citing concerns about the outbreak of the respiratory illness known as MERS. But anti-LGBT activists have mounted an all-out campaign to shut down the Queer Cultural Festival, including successfully blocking the group's application to hold a pride parade by filing competing permit requests for the parade route.
"Ban Ki-moon: If your son wants to marry a man, if your daughter wants to marry a woman, do you really accept homosexuality?" read this sign addressed to the U.N. secretary general, who is from South Korea.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has repeatedly called on member states to respect the human rights of LGBT people.
Simon Williams-Im / Via simonwilliamsim.dothome.co.kr