South Korean Choir G-Voice Helps Gay Men Find Their Voice
On a recent Sunday afternoon, members of G-Voice met at their practice room in the small office of “Chingusai” or “Between Friends,” a Korean rights group for gay men.
Founded in 2003, the choir has been described as the “K-Pop of the human rights movement.” But their repertoire also includes traditional folk songs, as well as many original compositions, based largely on their experiences of being gay in Korea.
“Choral music is not about me shining through singing alone,” said Jeon Jae-woo, a founding member and the choir’s music director. “Rather, it’s the process of adjusting and harmonizing our voices and creating a chord.”
There are no protections for LGBTQ people in South Korea and discrimination remains widespread. Until 2003, homosexuality was classified as “harmful and obscene” under Korean law.
A Queer Culture Festival in Seoul last year drew more than 120,000 attendees, according to its organizers, but it was marred by protests and violence when anti-gay Christian groups stormed the event and assaulted participants, while police reportedly watched without interfering.
“The widespread culture of hatred in Korea is not only targeting queer people but rather any group of oppressed people,” Kang Myeong-jin, chief organizer of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival, told The Korea JoongAng Daily at the time. “Some people want to erase these oppressed groups from society. But we cannot be erased. We are here, and we need to be visible.”
Check out the full interview with G-Voice here.
