Rainbow flags, 500 marchers along 3 km of Geumnamno

A participant takes part in an activity at the 5th Gwangju Queer Culture Festival held Saturday along Geumnamno in Dong-gu, Gwangju. [Yonhap]
A participant takes part in an activity at the 5th Gwangju Queer Culture Festival held Saturday along Geumnamno in Dong-gu, Gwangju. [Yonhap]

The Gwangju Queer Culture Festival, a celebration for sexual minorities, was held Saturday along Geumnamno in Dong-gu, Gwangju.

The organizing committee held the fifth edition under the slogan "Queotnal: Oh! A Joyful Holiday."

About 500 people and more than 40 organizations attended, according to police estimates. The festival opened at 1 p.m. with booths offering hands-on activities and promotional programs, along with stage performances.

Booths at the venue ran programs aimed at fostering understanding of sexual minorities and promoting diversity, while participants urged the passage of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law and called for stronger protections for LGBTQ rights.

Speakers on stage addressed issues of LGBTQ human rights and discrimination alongside the performances, and religious figures from several faiths held a blessing ceremony for sexual minorities.

Starting at 4 p.m., participants marched roughly 3 kilometers under their organizations' flags, passing through the intersection in front of Chonnam National University Hospital and along the Gwangju Stream before returning to Geumnamno.

After completing the roughly one-hour march, participants gathered back on Geumnamno and sang "March for the Beloved" together at 5:18 p.m.

The festival concluded with solidarity speeches from representatives of political parties and civic groups pledging support for the enactment of an anti-discrimination law.

"Passage of an anti-discrimination law can no longer be delayed if sexual minorities are to live in our communities free from discrimination," an organizing committee official said. "We hope this festival becomes an opportunity for sexual minorities and citizens to understand and stand in solidarity with one another."

A counter-rally was also held Saturday afternoon. The Gwangju-South Jeolla Province Citizens' Coalition Against the Anti-Discrimination Law, composed largely of Christians, drew about 500 people to a demonstration near the fifth block of Geumnamno, roughly 1 kilometer from the festival venue, starting at 1 p.m.

Both groups began their marches at the same time but took different routes and covered different stretches, so the two sides did not encounter each other, and the events concluded without friction or clashes.

The Gwangju Queer Culture Festival was first held in 2018 but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors before resuming last year. Saturday marked its fifth edition.


eyre@heraldcorp.com