With just a week to go before the Daegu Queer Culture Festival, tensions are escalating as both organizers and opponents have turned to the courts. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
DAEGU, Sept. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – With just a week to go before the Daegu Queer Culture Festival, tensions are escalating as both organizers and opponents have turned to the courts, filing injunctions that underscore the deeply divisive nature of LGBTQ+ rights in this conservative city.
On September 19, the festival’s organizing committee submitted an emergency injunction to suspend a police order that would restrict the event to one lane of traffic and part of the sidewalk in the Dongseongno district, a bustling pedestrian area in central Daegu. The festival is scheduled for September 28.
“Limiting us to one lane makes it impossible to hold the festival,” said Bae Jin-gyo, the committee’s chairperson.
“The police, who have worked with us in previous years, know better than anyone that we can’t operate within such constraints. We interpret their decision as a de facto attempt to prevent the festival from taking place.”
Last year’s festival proceeded under heavy police protection, with law enforcement forming a barrier between attendees and protesters. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The police notification, issued on September 5, allowed the use of one out of two lanes in the public transit-only zone for the event. A police representative stated that law enforcement would “follow the court’s decision” and adjust preparations accordingly.
Meanwhile, festival opponents, including the Daegu Anti-Queer Countermeasures Headquarters, local merchant associations, and parent groups, announced plans to file their own injunction seeking to prohibit the event entirely.
“We’re pushing for a complete cancellation of the queer festival,” said Kim Young-hwan, secretary-general of the Anti-Queer Countermeasures Headquarters.
Anticipating potential pushback from the court, he added, “We’ll also request that the police’s restrictions be upheld and the duration of the assembly be reduced.”
The opposition groups are also planning a large-scale counter-demonstration near the festival site on September 28, further heightening concerns about potential confrontations.
This legal battle reflects the broader societal tensions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in South Korea. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
This legal battle reflects the broader societal tensions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in South Korea, where conservative Christian groups wield significant influence and same-sex marriages remain unrecognized.
Last year’s festival proceeded under heavy police protection, with law enforcement forming a barrier between attendees and protesters.
As the date approaches for this year’s event, all eyes are on the court to see how it will balance freedom of assembly with public safety concerns in an increasingly polarized atmosphere.
The Daegu Queer Culture Festival, part of a growing number of pride events across South Korea, has become a flashpoint for debates on diversity and traditional values in the country’s fourth-largest city.
As both sides await the court’s decision, the controversy underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in seeking visibility and acceptance in more conservative regions of South Korea.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
