Culture

Proud Seoul

by michaelvine | September 15, 2008 at 01:09 am

656 views | 62 Recommendations | 10 comments

Months ago, cities around the globe brought in the season by hosting Pride festivals. From Tokyo to San Francisco, populations on every continent showed their tolerance and support of the LGBT community with parades, film serials, arts fairs, and business promotions.

Now, to be honest, I have never been particularly drawn to Pride festivals. The significance of Pride truly touches me, and I love the idea of people from all walks of life coming together in order to promote civil equality. But, I also harbor reservations about certain bold displays that I feel undermine the LGBT community’s quest for social equity. As I see it, Pride is more than just a celebration of LGBTness. Pride is an opportunity for the LGBT community to stand in solidarity with the non-LGBT masses in grand defiance against institutional discrimination.

I guess that’s why I was so surprised and disappointed by the 2008 Korean Queer Culture Festival. From what I saw and heard, it was hardly celebratory. Here in one of the world’s largest cities, the enthusiasm surrounding Pride was about like that which follows dropping a newly opened Popsicle in the dirt.

I don’t know why, but I arrived at Cheongye Stream expecting to meet throngs of smiling, happy faces attending the Korean Queer Culture Festival's opening event. What I found, however, literally broke my heart. There were hoards of police lining the periphery of a parade that looked more like a colorful high school field trip. No joke: the gathering emanated more palpable apprehension than jubilant challenge. And, other than the sounds coming from a group of masked musicians and a small float, it was unsettlingly quiet. Furthermore, of the relatively small number of parade participants, a large portion donned red ribbons that I was quickly informed signified that they were not out and that they did not wish to photographed or caught on video. Ergo, I was able to capture all of two minutes of footage before being censured by a parade official.

I wasn’t upset simply because my expectations of experiencing Pride in a major world city had been dashed against the stones. My heart sank because I realized that the LGBT citizens of the foremost city in this heavily populated, technologically advanced, and otherwise forward-moving country still live their lives in outright shame and shadow.

I now know the face of queer culture in Korea, and I'll tell anybody who'll listen that it is anything but proud.

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

michaelvine

at 01:51 on September 15th, 2008

images by Michael Vine

Uwe Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 02:54 on September 15th, 2008

michaelvine, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Not every one does embrace American loud, invasive and arrogant stiles though.

Parades such as this can be civilised and even more effective as such.

I however do not like any such parades, may they be religious, LGBT or Political...

michaelvine

at 06:05 on September 15th, 2008

You know, I am so happy you read my stories that I am almost reluctant to respond to your comments. Almost.

Not everyone embraces the horribly misguided notion that Americans are the singular people on earth who display the above characteristics. (That takes a serious disregard for blatant reality!) I do not believe that Americans are the only people who have a loud, invasive (and arrogant?) parade-throwing style. Do you mean to propose that "American = loud + invasive + arrogant" or "American = NOT civilized"?! If that's the case, the same needs must be said about the rest of the West. Because, I definitely do not see THAT much difference between the majority population in Anglo-America and that of the majority in many European nations, if you follow my meaning.

Uwe Paschen

at 06:23 on September 15th, 2008

You are correct in your comment and I should have mentioned a great many more including the German, the Australian, the British and so on. I agree. And yes my critic would most likely only fit on 20 to 30% of those population at the most and yet even though a minority they can be rather laud. I do apologise for the somewhat crude generalisation. I may have been a little annoyed with a laud, narrow thinking and blindly nationalistic American just before reading your post and that I should not ever have generalised. I appreciate the comment you made.