Queer Festival Adrift Amid Opposition... Countdown to New Venue Announcement Begins

Queer Festival Organizers Reported Assembly on the 1st
Large-Scale Rally by Conservative Groups Expected

The announcement of a new venue for the Seoul Queer Culture Festival (Queer Festival), which can no longer use Seoul Plaza, is entering its final countdown. However, given the strong backlash against sexual minorities, it is expected to face opposition from conservative groups.

2022 Seoul Queer Culture Festival

According to civic groups on the 5th, the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee (Organizing Committee) plans to announce the new venue for the Queer Festival at a press conference at the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 7th. A representative of the Organizing Committee said, "We will announce the appropriate venue for the Queer Festival, which will be held on the 1st of next month, through the press conference," adding, "The specific location has not yet been finalized."

The Organizing Committee reported the assembly to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Namdaemun Police Station, and Jongno Police Station on the 1st. Namdaemun Police Station and Jongno Police Station have jurisdiction over areas from the Blue House to Gwanghwamun Square, in front of Seoul City Hall, and Seoul Plaza. It is presumed that this year’s Queer Festival will be held not far from Seoul Plaza, where the festival was previously held.

The Queer Festival has been facing difficulties since the Seoul Open Plaza Operation Citizens' Committee (Citizens' Committee) denied the Organizing Committee's application to use Seoul Plaza on the 3rd of last month. The committee only approved the Christian group CTS Culture Foundation's "Youth and Young Adult Recovery Concert," which was held at Seoul Plaza during the same period as the Queer Festival. According to the "Ordinance on the Use and Management of Seoul Plaza," events related to children and youth have priority in review and approval.

This is the first time since its inception in 2015 that the Queer Festival will be held somewhere other than Seoul Plaza. In 2020 and 2021, it was held online due to COVID-19, but last year it took place at Seoul Plaza. At that time, about 10,000 people gathered at the festival site. Last year’s Queer Festival held symbolic significance as Philip Goldberg, the U.S. Ambassador to Korea known as a sexual minority, participated. Ambassador Goldberg said at the Queer Festival, "I wanted to participate in the Queer Festival to demonstrate America’s commitment to ending hate," and added, "We will continue to fight for human rights."

However, the festival continues to face public opposition. According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from May 23 to 25 last month targeting 1,000 people nationwide aged 18 and over (with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level), 40% supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 51% opposed it. Although the gap between support and opposition has narrowed from 20 percentage points in 2019 to 11 percentage points, the majority of public opinion still holds negative views toward sexual minorities.

Conservative groups are also expected to hold large-scale rallies near the venue of the Queer Festival. During last year’s Queer Festival, an anti-homosexuality rally was held on Sejong-daero across from Seoul Plaza. About 15,000 people gathered, chanting slogans against the Anti-Discrimination Act and marching. At that time, the police deployed 58 companies to prevent clashes and erected barricades around Seoul Plaza.