Man Talks About Being Gay In South Korea Where Homosexuality Is A ‘Foreign’ Issue; ‘I Couldn’t Even Tell My Family’
A South Korean man shares about what it feels to be a gay in a country that remains ambivalent about homosexuality. Two years ago, Micky Kim married his partner Tony Ruse in California, without his family knowing it.
Kim admits that he used to pretend to be someone he's not on family gatherings. He even came up with a story of having a girl friend just to cover up.
"It felt like I couldn't breathe because now I had to suddenly pretend I'm a different person," Kim remembers, as noted by CNN on Monday. "I put on this persona, and like 'OK, I have a girlfriend and it's been a year.' I create these fake stories to cover up."
He considers homosexuality a "foreign" issue in South Korea because of unfamiliarity, hence, South Koreans who are like him find it difficult to express who they really are.
The idea compelled Kim to open up and raise the awareness of South Koreans about homosexuality. He is also bullish that United States' ruling in favor of marriage equality will be a good factor in South Korea's take on homosexuality.
"Even though Korea is not very gay friendly... Korea likes to does whatever America does. So I think they're going to follow the trend," Kim laughs.
Although same-sex marriage is not honored in South Korea, director Kim Jho Gwang Soo publicly tied the knot with his partner Kim Seung Hwan two years ago in Seoul, Reuters reported on Sep. 7, 2013. The couple says they are trying to prove that gays have the right to marry in their society
An organizer from Korea Queer Culture Festival says South Korean gays find it difficult to open up because South Korea is a conservative country.
"Generally you cannot say you are gay openly in South Korea, because South Korea is a very conservative country," says Kang Myeongjin.
"The worst thing is the rejection and isolation from belonging to a group, such as family, workplace, neighborhood, society and the country."
A survey conducted by Pew Research Center reveals that 57 percent of South Koreans that were surveyed believe that homosexuality is unacceptable.
