1/ Re: the current gay witch-hunt in South Korea. Was it careless to go out clubbing in packed spaces? No doubt. Were gays the only ones to go out party? Certainly not.
Yet the narrative for many is to include the word "gay" as if it were useful. Are gay people scared? Yes.
Yet the narrative for many is to include the word "gay" as if it were useful. Are gay people scared? Yes.
2/ Here's Itaewon a few weeks ago amidst the social distancing drive. Buzzing. Music pumping out, partygoers all over. I actually walked passed the gay district that night and it was dead. This virus doesn't discriminate; it could have/can happen to anyone.
3/ As @ajosshi justly points out, unless we lock ourselves at home, we are all probably "guilty" in some form or another. Now's not the time to jump on the blame game bandwagon, which so many seem keen on doing with or without the gay element to the story.
4/ People are saying it's not that they are gay, it's that they are irresponsible. But does everything think that way? Certainly not. Why is it that the 15 odd people of the gay community I've contacted in the past few days have all said "we're fucked". Why?
5/ Why are so many people removing their photos and in some cases deleting their dating app profiles?
6/ Why did the Prime Minister have to mention not to discriminate against a certain section of society? Why did LGBTQ NGOs all put out statements this weekend?
7/ It's simple: because homophobia is real in South Korea. Don't believe me? Try attending a pride festival in South Korea and see what happens.
8/ If you are man in the army, try saying you're gay. You'll be treated as a person with a mental illness. Homophobia is state endorsed: soldiers are asked to describe their degree of attraction to men. Here's a nice report from Amnesty International amnesty.org/download/Docum… 
9/ So many stories of hate and discrimination in South Korea, yet these crimes go unpunished. One reason is the lack of an anti-discrimination law which the homophobes are against as it would remove their right to discriminate. Makes *perfect* sense. And the government gives in.
10/ So many stories of suicide. I've known 3 members of the gay community take their own lives over the last two years. I've heard of a handful more. Almost half of LGBTQ people under the age of 18 have thought of killing themselves. bbc.com/news/world-asi…
11/ This mess started when the homophobic Kookmin Ilbo published a malicious "exclusive" about how the gays caught the virus. Then went on to describe their apparently promiscuous lifestyles. Then all the media copy pasted the initial exclusive story.
12/ It's so easy to pick on the weakest of society, the joke of society, and shift all the blame towards them. Everyone loves a scapegoat to diffuse their anger.
13/ People are like "they should come forward" or "why did they lie about their contact details?" But rather maybe ask why people who are so terrified of being outed would do that. Coming out in South Korea is social suicide. You've got everything to lose, nothing to gain.
14/ The online hate spread online. A friend was crying at what he was reading. Admittedly online comments are just that: online comments. But the hate is real.
15/ In a way, I also remain optimistic. This storm will pass, but South Korea being in the spotlight as a homophobic country is not good news for the government and the image the current administration is trying to achieve. It will certainly serve as a wake-up call. /end/
