National
Korean LGBTQ experts push for peace
Bay Area group praises developments from U.S.-North Korea summit
A brief statement signed June 12 by President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un concluded a historic summit in Singapore. The agreement was short on details but fodder for explosive speculation.
Trump committed the U.S. to vague āsecurity guaranteesā in exchange for a āfirm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsulaā with no specific language about verification or a timeline.
Trump also called off āwar games,ā otherwise known as joint U.S. military exercises with South Korea that has heretofore provided an umbrella of protection for the region. The announcement surprised both South Korea President Moon Jae-in and the Pentagon.
āOur military exercises are defensive in nature,ā Frank Jannuzi, CEO of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation and former deputy executive director of Amnesty International USA, told the Los Angeles Blade. āWhatās remarkable to me here is that youāve got Trump unilaterally suspending those exercises and getting nothing for it. Itās not like the North had made a reciprocal pledge to both suspend production of fissile material [that which is capable of sustaining a nuclear fission reaction] and to suspend their large-scale military exercises.ā
Trump āis way out of his depth,ā ādupedā by the violent dictator Kim Jong Un, former CIA Director John Brennan told MSNBC. The statement of principles was something Un had already signed more specifically with South Korea.
Others, however, remain optimistic. Ju-hyun Park, a member of the Communications Committee of Hella Organized Bay Area Koreans (HOBAK), a San Francisco-area collective founded as a home for queer and trans Koreans, told the Los Angeles Blade: āThe cancellation of U.S.-ROK [South Korean] military drills and the DPRKās [North Koreaās] commitment to denuclearization are positive steps towards the realization of peace and reunification on the peninsula. We hope talks continue and result in demilitarization and denuclearization, including of U.S. assets.ā
Christine Ahn, co-founder of the Korea policy Institute and founder and international coordinator of Women Cross DMZāa coalition of women working to end the decades-long stalemated Korean WarātoldĀ Democracy Now on Tuesday: āThis is unprecedented. Itās a new day for the Korean peninsula. The joint statement talks about peace and prosperity and security. It remains the job of civil society, and especially of womenās groups, to be sure weāre included in this peace process.ā
Women and LGBTQ Koreans have long been pushing for peace in the region as the best way to secure more freedoms and protections for gender and sexual minorities on the Korean peninsula. Both North and South Korea have been beset by human rights abuses, as well as prejudice from the American-influenced Christian Right against LGBTQ people.
Trump said human rights abuses were discussed ābrieflyā during the summit, but did not elaborate. Rather, he showed Un a four-minute video produced by WhiteHouse.gov and California-based Destiny Productions about what his country could be. The video comes off as a movie trailer āabout a special moment in time when a man is presented one chance that may never be repeated. What will he choose ā to show vision and leadership ā or not?ā Trump, who lavished praise on Un, told reporters that the North Korean leader and his entourage were impressed.
Many experts and activists, including members of HOBAK, watched the summit with both trepidation and excitement since the world leaders are known for being unpredictable. They feel the inclusion of women and LGBTQ communities in peace talks could help to usher in an era of demilitarization and reconciliation and want to offer insights into a better way forward.
HOBAK, a group of 20 grassroots activists, promote gender equality, LGBTQ rights, demilitarization, Korean reunification, and other progressive policies both on the Korean Peninsula and in the U.S. The group believes that American involvement in the ongoing Korean War has only stymied hopes for peace and demilitarization.
āI think we’ve been seeing this again with Donald Trump’s administration, where they have been really fanning the flames of hostility and tension,ā Hyejin Shim told the LA Blade. āU.S. occupation has really impacted the politics of South Korea because the U.S. has positioned itself as South Korea’s benefactor and savior. To our understanding, the relationship between the U.S. and the South Korean governmentāthat was a relationship that propped up South Korean dictators for many decades after the Korean War,ā started June 25, 1950.
Having women and LGBTQ folks involved in the peacemaking process leads to actual and more lasting peace deals, said Ahn, who has hosted international peace summits in Seoul and Pyongyang. The ongoing state of war is āused by governments on both sides to justify a very repressive national security state. Obviously, on a scale of one to 10, itās a 10 in North Korea. And in South Korea, it depends on whether itās a more progressive or liberal administration, versus a neoconservative one.ā While she did not minimize North Koreaās record on human rights, Ahn said the treatment of LGBTQ visitors has been worse in South Korea, by comparison.Ā
Ahn has led delegations of Korean-Americans to North Korea, half of whom have been queer. āItās really extraordinary the percentage of queer Koreans who have been involved in this [peace and de-militarization] movement,ā Ahn said. In one instance, a woman asked the government-appointed tour guide āminderā what he imagined Kim Jong-un would say concerning queer people. The āminderā said something to the effect of:Ā āIt doesnāt matter what your sexual orientation is, as long as youāre for the revolution and for advancing equality.ā
When the woman relayed the story to elderly first-generation Korean-American immigrants in the U.S.āa community traditionally known to be heterosexist and patriarchalāshe received a standing ovation. āIt just shows there isn’t a monolithic view or experience within North Korea, that there are obviously competing views,ā Ahn said. āIt’s important to have these honest conversations to bring about change both there and here.ā
āWe know that nations at war are not friendly to human rights,ā she said. āNot to justify it, but why don’t we try a different approach? Why donāt we try engagement? If we can get to peace, a lot of things will improve in the day-to-day existence of people [on the Korean Peninsula].ā
Jannuzi agreed that peace and human rights āgo hand in hand.ā However, he said, āThe hostilities donāt account for the lack of a judicial system or trial; the inability to worship; the inability to have access to information; or the restrictions on people to express any criticism of the government. Their policies are draconian. They exercise collective punishment of entire familiesāchildren and parents are sent to jail for crimes committed by family members. Itās an authoritarian state thatās keeping a tight grip on its people.ā
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on DPRK (Democratic Peopleās Republic of KoreaāNorth Korea), Jannuzi noted, found the country is among the worldās more repressive and intolerant societies. āThere are maybe 120,000 political prisoners who are in gulags because of their political beliefs. That may include people who are [incarcerated for] their sexual orientation or sexual practices,ā but there is a lack of good data on this front.
LGBTQ communities in South Korea, too, face social and political repression. As Pride celebrations unfold in cities and towns across the United States, LGBTQ people in Seoul will risk their safety by taking to the streets in rainbow regalia. Counter-protesters have been known to assault Pride participants, who often wear sunglasses and concealing headgear to guard against accidental or intentional outing because they fear reprisal from their families, employers, friends and communities.
Shim, who is queer, told theĀ LA BladeĀ the South Korean military has been known to root out gay and bisexual men from its ranks by using entrapment techniques. Service members are solicited with gay apps such as Jackād and Grindr that are often used by men who have sex with men. After they are outed and subsequently discharged from the armed forces, gay and bisexual men face prison sentences because able-bodied men in South Korea between the ages of 18 and 35 must complete two years of compulsory military service. If they donāt complete the full two-year term, they are required to make up the difference in a correctional facility.
Additionally, while consensual same-sex activity is legal among civilians in South Korea, it is punishable by up to two years imprisonmentāor institutionalizationāif participants are in the military.
Despite the pervasiveness of homophobia in South Korea, HOBAK is hopefully advocating for a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. Pew research found public opinion has shifted toward LGBT acceptance more in South Korea than in any of the other 39 countries surveyed.
Homophobia persists, however, fueled by a Christian conservatism originated in the late 1880s. For instance, South Korean Prime Minister Moon Jae-in has a distinguished record of supporting progressive policies, but answered a campaign question about gay rights by saying he is against homosexuality.Ā Ā
But HOBAK persists, as well. During her most recent trip to Jeju Island, part of South Koreaās Jeju Province, Shim attended Pride celebrations and witnessed the viciousness of counter-protesters wielding signs akin to those brandished by members of the Westboro Baptist Church. āSo much of South Korean politics is very interrelated and interconnected,ā Shim said. āSo there are LGBT folks doing labor stuffāqueer people are everywhere, so of course they’re involved in everything.ā
Ahn is pleased with the summit. Nuclear weapons would instantly kill 300,000 people on the Korean Peninsula and now Trump no longer has the option to launch a first strike. Ahn believes Women Cross DMZ āplanted a seedā in Trumpās mind through a letter they sent him saying he had unique opportunity to do what no American president has successfully done before: bring an end to the longest U.S. conflict.
Jannuzi said that peace would open the door to further negotiations, including those focused on human rights. āI donāt think thereās anything about the North Korean human rights situation that would be improved through coercion,ā he said. āPressure in the form of military pressure or economic sanctions is not the way to convince them to improve their human rights record.ā
Jannuzi would like to see a human rights working group that would address human rights and human security issues, including in freedom of expression and religion, as well as protections for LGBTQ people. āMaking peace with North Korea,ā he said, āis the best way to gain access and leverage to begin to improve human rights in North Korea.ā
Jannuzi however, cautioned that this most recent pledge by North Korea to denuclearize is āmore vague, weaker, and less specific than almost all of the previous commitments that have been made,ā while also extolling the importance of the Summit. āWeāve accomplished very little so far, but weāve started a process,ā he said.
Ahn is focused on peace: āThis could be so good for peace in Korea, peace in northeast Asia, for the abolishment of nuclear weapons and for world peace. And we should not be trying to derail it because of our disdain for Trump but see it in the broader picture of what this means for the possibility of a future of world peace.ā
State Department
State Department travel advisory warns of potential anti-LGBTQ violence
FBI issued similar warning this week
The State Department on Friday issued a worldwide travel advisory that warns of potential violence against LGBTQ people and LGBTQ-specific events.
“Due to the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution,” reads the advisory. “The Department of State is aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQI+ persons and events and advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution.”
The advisory further urges U.S. citizens to:
- Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists, including Pride celebrations and venues frequented by LGBTQI+ persons.
- Enroll in theĀ Smart Traveler Enrollment ProgramĀ (STEP)Ā to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas.
- Follow the Department of State onĀ FacebookĀ andĀ Twitter.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Homeland Security Investigations earlier this week issued a similar advisory.
The advisory notes June 12 will mark eight years since the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.
The White House
White House acknowledges IDAHOBiT, reiterates support for global LGBTQ rights
WHO on May 17, 1990, declassified homosexuality as a mental illness
The Biden-Harris administration on Friday used the annual International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia to reiterate its support of LGBTQ and intersex rights around the world.
“On the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, my administration stands in support and solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people around the world as they seek to live full lives, free from violence and discrimination,” said President Joe Biden in a statement. “This is a matter of human rights, plain and simple.”
“The United States applauds those individuals and groups worldwide working to defend the rights of LGBTQI+ people wherever they are under threat,” he added. “We are grateful for the contributions that LGBTQI+ people make every day across our nation.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Biden.
“On this day, we reflect upon the violence and discrimination lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons worldwide suffer and re-commit ourselves to opposing these acts,” said Blinken in his own statement. “This year, like every year, we state unequivocally: LGBTQI+ persons deserve recognition of their universal human rights and human dignity.”
IDAHOBiT commemorates the World Health Organization’s declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder on May 17, 1990.
Blinken in his statement notes LGBTQ and intersex people around the world “continue to face insidious forms of stigma and discrimination.”
Dominica last month became the latest country to decriminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in May 2023 signed his country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act that, among other things, contains a death penalty provision for “aggravated homosexuality.”
“Even as more countries make meaningful advancements towards full equality; LGBTQI+ persons continue to be sentenced to death for daring to live their sexual orientation or gender identity, subjected to coercive conversion ‘therapies’ and ‘normalization’ surgeries, discriminated against while receiving health services, restricted from exercising fundamental freedoms, and denied the dignity of same-sex partnership and fulfillment of family,” said Blinken.
“As we reflect upon the injustices that LGBTQI+ persons and their allies endure, we must not forget that today is fundamentally a day of action,” he added. “On this day and every day, the United States stands with LGBTQI+ persons around the world. We will continue to advocate for the rights of LGBTQI+ persons not just because we have a moral imperative to do so, but because it helps to strengthen democracy, bolster national security, and promote global health and economic development.”
The Tonga Leitis Association is among the myriad LGBTQ and intersex rights groups around the world that acknowledged IDAHOBiT.
š Today, we honor IDAHOBIT with the Tonga Leitis Association. We celebrate love, advocate for equality, and strive for a more inclusive Tonga. Join us in supporting equal rights for all and the journey towards acceptance. #IDAHOBIT2024 #TLA š³ļøāš
— Tonga Leitis Association (@LeitisTonga) May 16, 2024
Federal Government
Biden-Harris administration takes major step toward reclassifying marijuana
New regulations could lessen criminal penalties for cannabis
The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday took a major step toward loosening the federal government’s regulation of marijuana by issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which outlines a proposal to reclassify it under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
The move comes pursuant to the Biden-Harris administration’s April 30 announcement of plans to recategorize cannabis as a Schedule III substance, which could substantially lessen the criminal penalties for those convicted of using, possessing, selling, distributing, or cultivating the drug.
A 60-day public comment period will begin after the NPRM is published on the Federal Register, along with a concurrent review of the proposed regulatory reforms by an administrative law judge assigned by the DEA.
Since the CSA was passed in 1971, cannabis has been listed under Schedule I, the category reserved for drugs that are considered to be the most dangerous and lacking any currently accepted medical use in the U.S.
In a press release, a senior administration official noted that “marijuana is currently classified higher than fentanyl and meth ā the drugs driving our Nationās overdose epidemic.”
President Joe Biden posted a video on X in which he said the proposal to house cannabis under the Schedule III regulatory regime constitutes “an important move towards reversing longstanding inequities.”
“Todayās announcement builds on the work weāve already done to pardon a record number of federal offenses for simple possession of marijuana,” the president said. “It adds to the action weāve taken to lift barriers to housing, employment, small business loans, and more for tens of thousands of Americans.”
“Look folks no one should be in jail for merely using or possessing marijuana,” Biden said. “Period.”
The president added, “Far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana and Iām committed to righting those wrongs. You have my word on it.”
Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 16, 2024
So today, the @TheJusticeDept is taking the next step to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug under federal law.
Here's what that means: pic.twitter.com/TMztSyyFYm
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