Hand in Hand LGBT Chorus Festival Seoul 2017

Yesterday was the rally and march with the Hand in Hand festival in Seoul. So much feels so new here in the strides for LGBT visibility and acceptance. While Taiwan's highest court just recently ruled in favor marriage equality, other Asian countries are still institutionalizing homophobia. The participants in the festival represent choruses from Taiwan, Singapore, Honk Kong, Seoul and Beijing. The exuberant march (I was with the Beijing Queer Chorus) ended at City Hall, where we were met with furiously angry homobhobic demonstrators. Police were there, and formed a human chain to protect the Hand in Hand particiapants. Just as I've seen in the States, the contrast between the two groups was stark. The anti-gay protestors, spewing their torrents of hatred and fear, were a dark, angry, unhappy presence. And the LGBT folk were happy and joyous, waving many brightly colored flags, singing and cheering. Angry versus Joyful. Ego versus Enlightenment. Three things struck me about the Korean homophobic protestors: 1) They seemed to blend in their opposition a jingoistic nationalism with fundamental Christianity (certainly not unknown in the US) 2) Some factions looked and seemed quite official, and had comandeered the City Hall steps with their sound system, suits, and seriousness, blocking any LGBT groups from setting foot in front of City Hall 3) The vitriol pumped thru their loudspeakers was a level of screaming, hateful fury I've not heard a lot in the States. Now, I don't know which of these groups were screaming what - perhaps the most mouth-frothy were the angry evangelicals. Perhaps the elected-and-running-for-office officials were speaking calmly and clearly, focusing on policy more than polemic. But the opposition was huge, and loud, and seemed very, very scared. Give me the rainbow-waving music warriors any day of the week.