Daejeon city, queer group lock horns over pride festival

People participate in the Seoul Queer Culture Festival on June 1 (Yonhap)

Local government authorities and LGBTQ+ campaigners are at odds over hosting the first pride festival in the Chungcheong region on July 6, with the two sides showing little signs of backing off.

The organizing committee for this year's queer culture festival in Daejeon said Friday that it would host the event "as planned" under the theme "Love is you, we are here (unofficial translation)," noting that it has already reported to the Daejeon Metropolitan Police of its plans to host street parades, performances and exhibitions on that day.

The organizing committee also emphasized that it would create a "safe and enjoyable festival" in accordance with law and principles and that authorities shouldn't interfere in the event "in any way," shrugging off concerns that the parade would wreak havoc across the city.

More than 1,000 participants are expected to join the event, according to the committee.

Daejeon Metropolitan City and its district of Dong-gu, however, have repeatedly opposed the plan and promised to respond to it firmly.

Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo recently told reporters that the city "opposes any festival that could potentially cause conflict among people," referring to the societal divisions among those who oppose the pride parade. Lee said he would refrain from "creating issues that could lead to friction."

Park Hee-jo, the mayor of Daejeon's Dong-gu, struck a similar chord, referring to the pride parade as an event that has a "strong sense of social negativity."

Authorities have also warned that they will prevent the organizing committee from installing booths and hosting exhibitions on the roads and will never grant permission for such activities.

Counterprotesters have also warned that they would stage rallies nearby and on the sidelines of the parade, officials added. To minimize disruptions on July 8, Daejeon police said they are making efforts to prevent disputes that could arise from the event.

By Park Jun-hee(junheee@heraldcorp.com)