Seoul Pride will go on though permission revoked

Korea Queer Culture Festival organizers say opposition led to cancellation

Authorities have revoked permission to stage the 15th Korea Queer Culture Festival, otherwise known as Seoul Pride, but organizers say that they plan to go ahead with the June 7 event and that they have the support of the local business association, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.

A Seoul district office spokesperson says permission was withdrawn because of the April sinking of the MV Sewol ferry that claimed close to 300 lives. Festival organizers say the cancellation was sparked by complaints lodged by Christian groups who oppose the event and civil rights for LGBT people. WSJ says the district office denies that protests against the festival influenced the decision to call it off.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

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