We are fortunate in this country. Who among us even need to think about living in a nation that allows the freedom to assemble. With so many prides occurring across the nation, we hear of the great celebrations but never of any in the US being banned or canceled do to political reasons. Wilton Manors even stepped up this year and was the lead organizer of Stonewall Pride that happened this past weekend. Thanks Wilton Manors!
South Korean Pride organizers had a little bit different response to their pride plans, especially their planned parade.
Seoul (AFP) – South Korea's gay pride organisers have won a court battle against conservatives and police seeking to block their parade celebrating sexual minorities late this month, they said Wednesday. The Seoul Administrative Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of parade organisers, invalidating a police ban on the parade imposed last month. Police had cited public safety concerns and traffic disruptions as the reasons behind the ban. "Assemblies can be prohibited only when they directly threaten public order," the court said in a statement. It also noted that the organisers of the annual parade had long been preparing for the event and therefore would suffer great damage should the event be scrapped. – businessinsider.com
I had covered this story earlier this month on June 5th (Will Seoul have a Pride Parade This Year). It's great to see that the Seoul Administrative Court has sided with morality and let the parade happen later this month.
"The court has sent a message to the public that sexual minorities should also be guaranteed rights to speech as a member of a democratic society," he said. Following the decision, the gay pride parade will take place on June 28 in the centre of Seoul as scheduled, wrapping up the annual festival that kicked off on June 9. – businessinsider.com
Of course this is not the end of things. As we know, any time we are proven to have a right, there will still be negative nancies out there marching to their own negative cause and this will most likely be the case in Seoul.
More than 20,000 people including lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders are expected to take part in the gala parade, the organisers said. But they face fervent and vocal opposition from conservative Christian groups who plan to stage a street march in protest … Gay rights activists say some progress has been made in recent years, but the police ban on the parade was the first since the annual Queer Culture Festival began 15 years ago.
The parade has in recent years attracted a growing number of participants — but also an equally swelling crowd of critics. Last year, Christian activists disrupted the parade by lying down in the street. – businessinsider.com
We wish our fellow LGBT members in Seoul the best come a week from today. June 28th will be the day they get to march with PRIDE. We will be there in spirit.
It is actually interesting
It is actually interesting that "Gay Pride" embarrasses most homosexual people.
Most don't want to be associated with the exhibitionist kind nor do they want to feel ridiculed by the sight of those eccentric people.
"Eccentric Pride" perhaps…