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South Korea's pride parade marks 20 years in blaze of colour

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Tens of thousands of LGBT South Koreans and their supporters paraded through central Seoul Saturday for the capital’s 20th gay rights march, with ruling…
Tens of thousands of LGBT South Koreans and their supporters paraded through central Seoul Saturday for the capital’s 20th gay rights march, with ruling Democratic Party members taking part for the first time.
The parade, some 70,000 strong according to organisers, made its way through the South Korean capital with participants dancing on open truck beds and waving rainbow flags.
« People who used to be invisible are here to show that they exist, » said Jeong Min-hee, a 26-year-old participant.
« It’s so much fun, I’m very excited and it feels so good to be in solidarity with others. »
South Korea is Asia’s fourth biggest economy and a capitalist democracy, but lived through decades of military rule when evangelical Christianity was widespread and framed the communist North as evil.
Christian churches still have enduring political influence in the South, and they are now targeting sexual minorities, activists say.
Homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea but there is currently no legislation outlawing discrimination
Ed JONES, AFP
« The conservative Christians consider both — communists and sexual minorities — as deserving to be demonised in South Korean society, » said Lim Bo-rah, a senior pastor at an LGBT-friendly church in Seoul.

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