Hong Joon-pyo "Opposes Daegu Queer Festival... Majority Gender Rights Are Also Important"

Queer Festival Organizing Committee: "We Will Parade Even More Resolutely"

Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, expressed his opposition to the Daegu Dongseong-ro Queer Festival scheduled to be held this month.

On the 8th, Mayor Hong stated on his Facebook, "I support the injunction request to ban the rally by the Daegu Christian Federation opposing the Queer Festival in Dongseong-ro, Daegu."

He said, "I oppose the Queer Festival that could tarnish the image of Dongseong-ro's commercial district, a symbol of Daegu, and instill incorrect sexual culture in teenagers," adding, "While the rights of sexual minorities are important, the rights of the sexual majority are equally important."

He continued, "I hope such Queer Festivals that cause disgust among citizens will not be held."

Earlier, on the 7th, four organizations including the Daegu Dongseong-ro Merchants Association, Daegu Christian Federation, Daegu Queer Opposition Countermeasures Headquarters, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk Next Generation Parents Union submitted an injunction request to the Daegu District Court to ban the Daegu Queer Culture Festival rally.

They claimed, "The Queer Festival organizers have illegally set up booths every year without obtaining road occupancy permits from Jung-gu Office, the administrative authority of the public transportation-only zone."

They added, "We will continuously monitor the illegal activities of the Queer Culture Festival organizing committee," and said, "We will expose the selectiveness and illegality of the Queer event, including youth harm and obscene performances involving exposure."

However, the Daegu Queer Culture Festival organizing committee stated on social media (SNS) on the 8th, "The hatred from some conservative Christian groups has gone far beyond limits," and added, "The more intense the oppression and suppression against the festival, the more steadfastly we will parade."

Meanwhile, the 15th Daegu Queer Culture Festival is scheduled to be held on the 17th in the public transportation-only zone of Jung-gu, Daegu.

To hold a rally in this zone, a report must be filed with the police, and the organizing committee has already completed the rally report with the Daegu Jungbu Police Station.