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Exclusive interview with QIC (Queer Inha City)Flying colors of LGBT part 2

  

Image frome QIC

     During our research for LGBT communities in South Korea, the Inha Times had the opportunity to meet and interviewed the current chairman of QIC and former chairman of QIC about QIC and current situation in South Korea regarding LGBT. QIC, Queer Inha City, is an unofficial university club of Inha University and Inha Technical University which was founded in 1999 and the interview was conducted.

 

 

The Inha Times (IT): QIC was founded in 1999, which is quite early even for the country itself. Was there any difficulty in organizing QIC?

QIC: As you said, it’s been over 17 years since the QIC was formed and we lost contact with the founders of QIC, so we don’t know in detail what the circumstances were like at the time. However, we do know that QIC first started as a small group observing the utmost privacy. For instance, all communication within the group were conducted using false names as anti-LGBT groups were trying to make a list of QIC members.     

IT: What is the main objective of QIC and what activities does it conduct?

QIC: The main objective of QIC is to promote and provide social opportunities to sexual minorities. We also consult people seeking advice with their sexual orientation or sexual identity and provide legal aid on the matter of outing such as unwanted coming out to the public due to the actions of others. However, so far there haven’t been many cases of outing and even fewer cases where a legislative response was needed.

IT: How is QIC promoting its activities? Has there been any deliberate interference by anti-LGBT groups to hinder QICs activities?  

QIC: Since last year, we’ve been posting QIC posters at the beginning of the semester at the back gate and inside Inha University buildings. We also have a QIC web pages on many famous SNS sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Additionally we also promote QIC through Inha Plaza, an Inha University Internet community. As for any interference, this really started last year, when a guy took pictures of himself vandalizing our poster and posted them at Ilbe, a notorious internet community for its extremist views.

IT: Is QIC supported by Inha University?

QIC: Sadly we aren’t supported by Inha University. QIC was formed as an unofficial university club and still remains unofficial. Therefore, we aren’t getting any financial or physical support from Inha University. Nevertheless, QIC is currently preparing to become an official Inha University club. This may take some time but surely we’ll get there.  

IT: How can LGBT join QIC?

QIC: To join QIC you must be a sexual minority. First, bring proof of your enrollment in Inha University (your ID) and then we will interview you to make sure that you meet our requirements. As you can see, our requirements are somewhat strict but these are necessary to prevent anti-LGBT people from entering QIC. Under the pretense of being a sexual minority, they’ve tried many times to enter QIC and sabotage our group. Moreover, we don’t accept anyone with inappropriate sexual intentions. So with these procedures, we hope and try to distinguish and pick out real LGBT.

IT: How about LGBT supporters, who aren’t sexual minorities. Can they also join QIC?

QIC: As for now, we don’t accept LGBT supporters who aren’t sexual minorities. We appreciate the goodwill of supporters, but QIC has remained and probably will remain a private club reserved for LGBTs. If we were to accept non- homosexual supporters, we would run an increased risk of unintentional outings, and because we were founded as a LGBT social good fellowship club, many of our members aren’t comfortable nor prepared for such changes. We think non-homosexual supporters of the LGBT community should express their support by creating their own pro-LGBT groups.

IT: What is the QIC’s perspective on the Korean social response towards the LGBT community??

QIC: As an university social club, we can’t and don’t represent the entire LGBT community. However, the current situation isn’t as grim as the media portrays. There are more events and social movements in favor of LGBT rights and the act of ‘comings out’ as a LGBT is being accepted better than before. For example, in Seoul National University, an LGBT banner was ripped during the night. In response, people from the non-LGBT community participated voluntarily in repairing the rip with band aids.

 However, Korean society still has a long way to go. When we evaluate our society, we often compare ourselves to American society. In this comparison, because Korea is a patriarchal country, with immense religious influence opposed to LGBT community, we are years behind American society.   

IT: What is the QIC’s perspective on the administrative response towards the LGBT community?

QIC: Again, it’s a very sensitive subject and we want to emphasize the fact that we don’t and can’t represent the entire LGBT community. However, from our perspective, the government or politicians do not really concern themselves with the LGBT community. This indifference has led to the disregard and to the negligence of LGBT community. Therefore, the LGBT community is also siding with other social minorities and underrepresented groups, such as disabled people’s rights groups and women’s rights groups.

IT: Some people argue that the government needs to make an administrative department to promote LGBT rights. What is your opinion on this matter?

QIC: Ideally, our society shouldn’t need an administrative department to promote the LGBT rights, and in our opinion, by doing so it will only cause controversy and reverse discrimination. Before talking about creating an administrative department, we should better first give adequate sex education that focuses on providing accurate information. For instance, the Korean Ministry of Education has canceled a considerable amount of sex education that used to provide accurate information about gender and sex. This lack of information has led to many misunderstandings and prejudices regarding the LGBT community. For instance, many people don’t even understand the difference between sexual orientation and sexual identity. Many believe that if a person is gay, for example, then she or he will have the exact same desire as a woman, even willing to go through gender reassignment. 

IT: As you said, Korea has a long way to go to become an LGBT-friendly society. However, there are critics arguing that LGBT organizations, including QIC, need to take more aggressive attitudes than they do now. What is your opinion on this matter?

QIC: Even today, QIC is going through a transformational phase to become a more active club. However, it’s going to be a long-term evolution with many difficulties. For instance, to become a socially active LGBT right club, all managers would need to come out to the public with their real sexual identities and QIC being the biggest sexual minority group in Incheon, with up to 150 members, these changes will take some time. Nevertheless, slowly but surely we’ll get there.

IT: What can our fellow collegian do to promote or support the LGBT community?

QIC: Frankly speaking, thanks to the many supporters, we don’t really need any more physical support. It would be more helpful if students try to recognize the fact that LGBT people aren’t different from any other person. Also, by taking a keen interest in the LGBT social rights movement you can support LGBT. When concerning yourself in the world of LGBT, you may encounter many barriers, but by using various platforms, such as conferences, podcasts, Afreeca TV, or talk shows, you will find that there are many avenues by which they can participate in the LGBT social rights movement. However, be aware that there are many rumors and false information which are circulating on the Internet. It’s important that students get their information from members of the LGBT community. For example, the “LGBT Mask Talk Show” provides an accurate account of the LGBT community, and every year, in April, an open LGBT forum is held with many experts, so if you’re interested you should go there.

 

  Many thanks to QIC, The Inha Times could learn more deeply about LGBT communities in South Korea. By conveying this interview, The Inha Times hopes to promote a society where minorities can live freely without discrimination.    

Á¶»óÇö  jeremycho318@gmail.com

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