Christian Protest of Gay Pride Opening Ceremony

First I stopped by Cheonggye Plaza, where an article led me to believe the Christians would be gathering. It was just the "2nd Holy Festival 2015." Interesting invocation of the rainbow.

This was exactly what I wanted to see at the event: police holding hands, and a misshapen Christian lugging a big cross symbol in front.

I took a couple shots.

Yes, three is a couple. I'm just that way.

Here's the cops holding hands together. I think they were limiting access to the field, which didn't make sense because there was nothing over there yet, and you could easily get around them anyway.

Ah, Korean democracy: more riot police than anyone. As I always say, when you have an unlimited supply of riot police, every problem looks like a riot.

"Fags OUT"
"Ex-gays are the human rights"
At this point, I'll just refute the "gay conversion" myth. I strongly believe the Kinsey Scale swells more in the middle than most people would like to believe, but if you're a 6, you're a 6. Gay conversion therapy is most likely to make you asexual or commit suicide. I recall reading a recent article about first-hand experiences at gay conversion therapy, where the kids were told "While you've been at this camp, the government has been executing all the gays. You're one of the few left, and if you can't stop being gay, you could be executed too." Can't remember, can't find it now, but it was posted on Facebook by someone within the last month.

"Mayor Park Won-soon, please protect our children!!
Parents oppose the Seoul Square Fag Festival!!
Coalition of Parents for a Moral Next Generation"

Why do we let these groups claim morality? Anyone can be moral in an ideal situation. The true test of morality is how you react in a crisus. How would these parents react to their child coming out to them? Would they pass or fail?

"Can Queer create the next generation? No"

Two comments: what Dan Savage did and what too many heterosexual Korean people are doing.

Heavy police mobilisation, as well as Mers masks.

"Believe in Lord Jesus
Only Jesus"

Before you jump to conclusions, read up on the guy's teachings. He actually was pretty humanist.

"Fags Out"

Across the street, there were tents set up.

"Away homosexuality to destroy humanity begone"
Takes one to know one.

"Jongbuk (North Korea sympathisers), corruption (fags) - combat and political reform
Truth Korea Party (but Google Translate translates their name to Truth About Sugar)."

So yeah, gays and North Korea supporters in league with each other? Have you ever been to North Korea? They treat homosexuals even more brutally than South Korea. You'd like it up there.

A rerun of a popular sign. I didn't see any gay people doing anything like this, so it was up to the Christians to BYOF.

Here you can see the especially passionate hate rally in front of Deoksugung. Don't worry, that's our next stop.

Mental note for later: the Golden Plot has been bulldozed.

This Pac-Man image of Seoul Square (which is actually an oval) shows the general layout. Pac-Man's mouth is where the later Pride ceremony would take place, with Christians assembled in the lower right, and cops everywhere.

Closer look at this Christian protest, which was at this point not well organised but loud and chaotic, and probably the most individually interesting.

Overview.

While I'm up here, a closer view of Deoksugung and Jeong-dong, where I'll be spending my Saturday this weekend.

What a lucky coincidence that the "All World Praise Team" happens to be located in the same country we're in now!

The non-protesters around were pretty easy to pick out based on their shirts. Or at least if this person was not part of the Pride Festival, that was a very awkward place to stand.

So yeah, traditional Korean percussion (which if I remember correctly should only be performed by men), as well as a few Nordic flags and a ton of Korean ones. Seems especially tacky to drag the Korean flag into this (to set aside the foreign flags). Hate never looked so fun.

Red sign: "Fags dishonour ancestors." (shortened greatly for my ease and sanity)

White sign: "Fag-promoted
bad human rights
should be cancelled"

Yellow sign: "Cancel fags promoting
spread of AIDS
student human rights ordinance

Best guess is this relates to the newly approved "don't say gay" form of sex education in Korea. Which is kind of like fighting for traffic safety education to exclude all mention of scooters and motorbikes, and praying your kids grow up to drive SUVs.

Upper left white sign: something about fags and Korea's future, but can't quite read the last red line.

Blue sign: "No same-sex marriage"

Thanks to your noble efforts, I don't think that's even really on the table right now. Currently Korean LGBTs are hoping for protection from discrimination, which is where the frontline currently lies. Going for gay marriage right now would be like trying to occupy Berlin before D-Day.

Lower left white sign: "AIDS * MERS virus
Fag Festival combination opposition
Fags will lead to an AIDS epidemic!!!"

Honestly, AIDS and homosexuality is a 20th century scare. 21st century is all about AIDS in Africa. Also, gotta love the ripped-from-the-headlines fearmongering of an AIDS-MERS megavirus.

Blue sign: "Seoul Mayor
Park Won-Soon!
Stop Homosexual Inclination!"

Also, while you're at it, stop left-handed babies, and the Coriolis effect, and free will if you have the time.

Not going to bother with the other signs.

A rare young male participant. There were certainly more young women than men in the protest.

"UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
Is Homosexuality a Human Right?"

My response, muttered upon seeing this sign: "yes."

"Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
(something-something) new country
will be brought down by fags."

Even the low birth rate is a bigger threat than gay people. Get fucking, straight Koreans!

Left: "Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon!
Do you really want a female son-in-law?"

Not too sure I got all the gender-swapping right here. What do they think this is, Three's Company? Do you get to choose the sexuality of your offspring? Otherwise Christians would only have heterosexual male kids, and progressives would have lesbian, folk-dancing, black daughters. In wheelchairs.

Upper middle: "Is anal sex a human right?"

Interestingly, this is a major misconception of sexuality.

One study found that "only 36 percent of men reporting receiving anal sex and 34 percent of men reporting giving it" (source).

Also, heterosexual anal sex is more common than most people are aware.

Last, if gay people spread AIDS through anal sex, then why are Christian youths preserving their virginity through saddlebacking?

Middle in white: "Anti-fag!!
Is the AIDS level in children because of the level of class?"

Sorry, my Korean level fails.

Ugh, not really willing to retranslate all this crap. Most of it is along the same lines of previous ones, spreading fear of an AIDS+MERS superviros and calling for the removal of fag Mayor Park Won-soon (though I could be misunderstanding Korean placard punctuation standards and maybe they aren't calling him a fag).

Upper middle: "96% of the people are against fags"

Hmm...

Poll Shows Koreans Warming to Homosexuality (2013)

South Koreans More Accepting of LGBT Community (2014)

Student gives excellent answer when school asks 'how should we punish gays?'

Whoa, is that a white guy in there? Hah, just kidding.

I'm done with translating signs over here, but I will say the guy on the left looks like a younger Park Won-soon.

You had your moment, haters.

Just a mess of riot police.

You might've had a better performance if there were gay people involved.

"Park Won-soon
out
fag"

This green-shirted guy started to point something out about the sign, but I didn't stick around and a crowd started to gather.

They were happy to have me taking their picture.

The middle white sign with red lettering says something to the effect of "Worse than MERS is fags" and a bunch of stuff about the mayor I can't quite decipher. The similar looking sign to its right says as best as I can tell, "Seoul citizens cast the out, fags." To its right is the yellow-trim sign that seems to say "Culturally accepting fag rally being allowed by Park Won-soon OUT."

More or less same signs. I was interested in the elderly woman in white on the left.

How dare you!

"STOP Fags"

Even the cops don't give a shit, so you don't get a second more of my time.

No crosses on the MERS masks, so quite possibly not haters.

I asked Paul if he would dare me to swipe it. He wouldn't.

Then we went to a restaurant to watch newborn kittens frolicking.

BLAAH

And street food to tie off the night.

Here is a flyer handed out to foreigners, courtesy of a fourth-generation American-Korean friend.

My thoughts:
-I couldn't give a shit what you think the religion that my ancestors forced on you tells you to do
-Nobody can really determine if another person feels love or not
-homophobia is not loving, anymore than neo-Nazism is about supporting immigration

I'm proud that the Canadian embassy has weighed in. How quickly did Canada start becoming awesome again?

Our countries brought Christianity to Korea, not homosexuality.

Interesting that they bring up Uganda, the land of the "kill the gays" bill, which actually was made possible by interference by American extremists. Good company to be in, right? Eat da poo poo!

Should the embassies respect the wishes of Koreans who oppose homosexuality? You will die soon.

What the fuck did you say about my country and incest and bestiality, you piece of shit?

If I disagree to accept your demand, you want me to leave Korea right now? Eleven more years!