LGBTQ community in South Korea holds online pride parade
- 4 years ago
코로나 시대에 열린 '온라인 퀴어퍼레이드'...랜선 참여로 '없던 길도 만든' 사람들
This summer marks 50 years since the first pride parade, but the pandemic has forced L-B-G-T-Q communities around the world to take this years' events online.
South Korea is no exception.
A virtual festival is being held online with some 30 thousand people marching along a virtual road.
Our Choi Jeong-yoon takes a look at the project.
The end of June usually conjures up images of colorful floats, elaborate costumes and hundreds of thousands of people marching along city streets.
But due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the LGBTQ communities have recorded music videos instead.
They have also created virtual events that span continents, languages and cultures.
In South Korea, that took the form of an online parade.
Media platform 'Dotface' came up with a campaign that connected participants with a hashtag "we build our own path" to bring some 30 thousand people to a virtual street march.
Lowering the barriers of participation was key.
"We tried to get as many people on board as possible. An endless parade had to be visually seen. And as people had to participate with an open account, we wanted to remove the burden that participating in this event could directly identify someone as queer."
"Participating in the campaign is easy. All you need is your smart phone. First log into your instagram account , and create a nickname. Then select your mood for the day. Deciding how you will do your hair, what you'll wear, and what transport you'll take to the parade, the campaign is winning praise for its sense of realism."
"The faces and styles of each character are diverse. Everything felt quite real, like I was actually in the parade."
The community says virtual pride events make it possible for teenage sexual minorities living far away, and those who have difficulty revealing who they are over concerns for their safety, all come to the parade.
"There is stress every day for sexual minorities living by heterosexualism. The feeling of solidarity and connectedness is especially important for them."
In the dark times of the pandemic, online pride has reminded members of the LGBTQ community that they are not alone, but part of a greater push for equality.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.
This summer marks 50 years since the first pride parade, but the pandemic has forced L-B-G-T-Q communities around the world to take this years' events online.
South Korea is no exception.
A virtual festival is being held online with some 30 thousand people marching along a virtual road.
Our Choi Jeong-yoon takes a look at the project.
The end of June usually conjures up images of colorful floats, elaborate costumes and hundreds of thousands of people marching along city streets.
But due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the LGBTQ communities have recorded music videos instead.
They have also created virtual events that span continents, languages and cultures.
In South Korea, that took the form of an online parade.
Media platform 'Dotface' came up with a campaign that connected participants with a hashtag "we build our own path" to bring some 30 thousand people to a virtual street march.
Lowering the barriers of participation was key.
"We tried to get as many people on board as possible. An endless parade had to be visually seen. And as people had to participate with an open account, we wanted to remove the burden that participating in this event could directly identify someone as queer."
"Participating in the campaign is easy. All you need is your smart phone. First log into your instagram account , and create a nickname. Then select your mood for the day. Deciding how you will do your hair, what you'll wear, and what transport you'll take to the parade, the campaign is winning praise for its sense of realism."
"The faces and styles of each character are diverse. Everything felt quite real, like I was actually in the parade."
The community says virtual pride events make it possible for teenage sexual minorities living far away, and those who have difficulty revealing who they are over concerns for their safety, all come to the parade.
"There is stress every day for sexual minorities living by heterosexualism. The feeling of solidarity and connectedness is especially important for them."
In the dark times of the pandemic, online pride has reminded members of the LGBTQ community that they are not alone, but part of a greater push for equality.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.