Gay festival to be held in Busan in June

The gay community in Korea will have an open forum to come out of the closet as the inaugural Stonewall Street Festival kicks off early next month.

Korean gay rights group Chingusai, or Among Friends, made the announcement on Tuesday for the three-day event, which will begin on June 5 in Busan with Gwangju and Daegu following.

Feature length and short films with a focus on homosexuality will be screened during the festival with live music performances and other events scheduled at the Public Hall of the Busan Community Media Center.



This year marks the 40-year anniversary since the Stonewall Riots of 1969 which were a series of violent protests that took place in New York`s Greenwich Village at the Stonewall Inn - at the time, a popular bar and hangout for gays and lesbians.

Though the riots were an expression of anger and frustration by the socially marginalized homosexual community, the incidents were cited as the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States.

While government and public perception of the gay and lesbian community have hit progressive strides in the United States and in the West in general, homosexuality is still a sensitive issue in Korea and in most Asian countries.

Coming out as a homosexual in Korea can be met with harsh consequences as it is still viewed with antagonism and intolerance.

In 2002 when Hong Seok-chun, a character actor in Korean television and films known for portraying effeminate or androgynous caricatures reminiscent of Steppin Fetchit announced his homosexuality, the industry turned its back on him.

Through events like the forthcoming festival aimed at creating a platform for gays and lesbians to be open about their sexuality, organizers like Chingusai hope it will be a small step towards gay rights in Korea.

According to the organization, "It is difficult for gays and lesbians to be open about their homosexuality in Korean society and it`s especially the case with rural areas where events like these will not be welcomed" and added "through this festival, we hope it will be the first step for the Korean gay community to gain acceptance and acknowledgement."

The Stonewall fest in The United States, in stark contrast to the Korean event, attracts lucrative big money sponsors like Fortune 500 companies such as consumer electronics giants Best Buy and Bacardi. It is also welcomed by the mainstream. The festival is so successful some have even accused organizers of being too commercially oriented.

By Song Woong-ki



(kws@heraldm.com)