User:Aney1234/LGBT rights in South Korea

Article Draft
Homosexuality remains quite taboo in South Korean society. The World Values Survey of 2005 to 2009 had shown that Korea was the second most hostile country towards homosexuals among 17 countries surveyed. This lack of visibility is also reflected in the low profile maintained by the few gay clubs in South Korea. There are a few in metropolitan areas, mostly in the foreign sector of Itaewon (especially in the section known as "Homo-hill"). However, Jong-no has been known to cater to non-Western clientele and has various gay-friendly shops, cafés, and gay-focused NGOs. A recent 2017 study insinuated the growth of a "gay lifestyle" community in Jong-no, a popular area in Seoul, where LGBT individuals feel safe in semi-heteronormative places. Though the study only looked at a well-known café, the famous Gay Bean, there are many other places in the Jong-no area that are considered straight but are growing increasingly welcoming of non-straight individuals.

In recent years, the combination of taboo, consumer capitalism, and gay-led gentrification (the so-called "gaytrification effect") of the Itaewon area has pushed new gay commercialization outside of Itaewon, while isolating those places remaining.

Young LGBT people in South Korea often face bullying and discrimination. A 2014 survey conducted by the GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation revealed that 54% of LGBT Korean youths reported being harassed previously by their classmates and fellow students. Students interviewed by Human Rights Watch described being excluded and ostracized, being targeted online, or being physically harassed. A 22-year-old lesbian woman recalled that once her sexual orientation became known at her secondary school, she was singled out for harassment and the students criticized her saying: ‘You are homosexual, you’re dirty.’ A 22-year-old gay man, recalled that classmates in middle school used “gay” as a slur, targeting boys who were perceived to be gay. A 17-year-old girl recalled classmates saying that homosexuals should die. Students were also targeted if they were seen to be socializing too closely or intimately with same-sex peers. Although many studies focus on discrimination that LGBT youths experience, discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is not only faced by adolescents in Korea, but also by adults. A 2018 study revealed that 22.6% of LGB adults and 51.5% of transgender adults in Korea faced harsh discrimination and unfair treatment within the past year. Similarly, surveys conducted on LGBT adults in Korea reveal that the proportion of bisexual and lesbian women who reported having depressive symptoms was significantly higher than heterosexual women in Korea. A 2022 study also revealed that those who had past experience with bullying and discrimination because of their sexual identity had 1.65 times more occurrences of unrestful and poor sleep quality compared to those that have not faced discrimination against their sexual identity. Unhealthy sleep is known to perpetuate stress and depressive symptoms and thus we can infer that LGBT people who face discrimination are at higher risk of depression and stress/anxiety.

A 2017 study exploring the rates of suicide ideation and attempts within Korean LGBT adolescents revealed that those youth who identified as homosexual or bisexual reported highest rates of suicidal ideation and medically serious attempts. Further, studies of suicide risk among youth revealed that LGBT youth in Korea experience extreme forms of bullying and discrimination that gives rise to higher rates of suicide attempts and risks.

Opposition to LGBT rights comes mostly from Christian sectors of the country (especially Protestants). In recent years, in part due to growing support for homosexuality and same-sex relationships from South Korean society at large, conservative groups have organised public events and marches against LGBT rights, as well counter-protests to pride parades, usually with signs urging LGBT people to "repent from their sins". These marches have been attended by thousands and by various politicians.

Other anti-discrimination provisions
In addition, other symbolic protections for "sexual minorities". Police officers and Coast Guard personnel are forbidden from outing an LGBT person against their own will.

In November 2017, the city of Geoje passed a policy that prohibits broadcasting agencies from spreading information encouraging discrimination against "sexual minorities". Hongcheon County and Gangneung followed suit in November and December 2018, respectively.

Furthermore, several activist groups and coalitions have been created within the South Korean LGBT community to advocate for human rights for LGBT people. For example, the "Rainbow Action against Sexual Minority Discrimination," otherwise known as "Rainbow Action," is a coalition of several non-governmental organizations that work to promote and expand LGBT rights in Korea. Rainbow Action works to address several issues within the Korean community including perspectives on conversion therapy, HIV-related stigma, hate crimes, intersex persons, and more.

Conversion therapy
According to a 2016 survey, 16.1% of LGBT people who had come out were recommended to undergo conversion therapy. Of these, 65.4% said it had a harmful impact on their lives, with 94% experiencing psychological trauma. A 2017 survey further reported that 58% of LGBT individuals who experienced conversion therapy in the past are still negatively affected by it in the present. Furthermore, studies have shown that 40% of LGBT respondents have claimed to have experienced homophobic statements or discriminatory treatment by counselors for conversion therapy.

Intersex People
In Korea, intersex people are largely ignored or marginalized because of the lack of familiarity with the term "intersex" itself and because of the general stigma that surrounds intersex people. As a result, intersex people are faced with a lack of access to medical services and some are even pushed to getting "genital normalizing surgery" without informed consent. This concept of medicalizing intersex people is still very prevalent in Korea and perpetuates the social diagnosis of intersex people as "diseased" or having to receive surgical "normalization." To mitigate these problems, in October of 2015, South Korea joined the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA) and have started increasing the number of articles and information on intersex people that are published nationwide to increase general knowledge about intersex people.