Although the perception of homosexuality is changing with the openness of Korean society, many prejudices and misconceptions still exist. In order to naturally accept homosexuality and create a society without discrimination, we need to have a proper understanding and mutual respect for homosexuals.
As Korean society becomes more culturally diverse and people’s thinking becomes more open-minded, there are many different opinions about homosexuality. This is not to say that the value of love has changed due to a sudden increase in cultural intervention from outside Korean society, but rather that the opinions of sexual minorities who have been suppressed are increasingly reflected in various sectors of our society. Homosexuality is now readily available in the media, especially in movies and novels, and sometimes public figures are openly gay themselves. On TV, homosexuality is a common theme, sometimes used as a joke. A drama about homosexuality titled “Life is Beautiful” was even aired on public television at a time that the whole family could watch, with no age restrictions. However, it’s still difficult to be open about being gay, and it’s not uncommon for people to be judged. After the aforementioned drama aired, it was criticized in a newspaper advertisement by an unidentified organization called True Education Mothers’ Association. In such a contradictory situation, what kind of attitude should we have toward homosexuals?
In fact, I myself was not very tolerant of homosexuality until recently; for some reason, I felt that if I had such a person around me, I would not only find it intolerable but also hate and dislike them. But I never really thought about homosexuality in a serious way. It was a very important issue for them, but I felt rejected simply because it was different from me. Then I got into a discussion with my girlfriend about homosexuality. I found so many contradictions in what I was saying, and as I researched the material to write about it, I realized that I had many misconceptions. They were no different from me.
Human beings are born with personality and act according to their own subjectivity. All human beings have the right to be respected and the obligation to respect each other, which is a human right. Even if they have physical or mental defects, they should be respected as a natural right. The question then becomes, what is the extent of that ‘right’ to be respected? Human rights are such an important and powerful social commitment that they are enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution, and there is a Human Rights Commission among national organizations. Today, human rights are seen as a means of politics, an objective of social movements, and a task of education. They are often unclear in substance, and their role is expanded by different interpretations. However, no matter how narrow and narrowly conceived human rights are, love between people can be guaranteed as a fundamental right. In this sense, homosexuality is not necessarily right, but I don’t think we need to discriminate against them, look at them with disgust, or force them to become heterosexual.
This is something that I’m still working on, but first we need to have the right perception of homosexuality. The social stereotypes that usually come to mind when we think of homosexuals are a good indication of the prejudice against them. We think it’s easy to tell if someone is homosexual or not by the way they dress or their demeanor. We see feminine men and masculine women and assume that they might be homosexual. Inferences such as that male homosexuals are unmanly and emotional, and female homosexuals are tough and rational, are incorrect. According to statistics from a 1980 survey in the United States, only about 10% of male homosexuals had distinctly feminine tendencies. They were no different from the general population in terms of occupation or position. It is foolish to try to determine people’s tastes or personalities based on a uniform set of external criteria. This effort to distinguish homosexuals from the general population stems from an inherent consciousness that denigrates them as “wrong” and not “different” from us. They just have different objects of love than we do. Think about it simply: humans are capable of giving love to everything around them. Our parents, siblings, and brothers and sisters are basically cousins that we care about and share emotions with. Love is not limited to human beings. If you really like something, you can develop more advanced feelings for it later in life. For example, people who have pets believe that animals can act as their own companions and love them with all their heart. In addition to animals, people who grow plants can also love trees and flowers. There are many other things to love in the world. So, is there a difference in value between all these loves? I don’t think so. There may be some big and small in the sense of love, but there is no standard for good and bad love in terms of emotional quality. Same-sex love is no different and should be treated the same as heterosexual love. It’s simply a difference in expression based on a difference in orientation. We are surrounded by a heterosexual mentality and take it for granted that only love between a man and a woman is natural. Especially in Korea, where Confucianism is deeply rooted, we tend to view homosexuality as an abomination and a crime.
Another prejudice against homosexuality is that it is a disease caused by mental and ethical defects and is repulsive to those around them. Despite careful research from biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives, the debate about whether homosexuality is innate or acquired is still inconclusive. It’s like physics not being able to decide whether light is a particle or a wave. Much of the research starts with the idea that homosexuality is a wrong sexual orientation. As I said earlier, we don’t need to try to enlighten homosexuals. That would be disrespectful to their humanity. It’s better for both parties if we recognize homosexuality as a natural phenomenon, whether it’s congenital or acquired, instead of trying to forcefully identify and cure it. Once you make the decision to accept all of these things, a lot of things become easier. You don’t have to feel uselessly disgusted anymore.
Another common prejudice is that homosexuality is always associated with sexuality. It’s important to distinguish between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity. Some people with homosexual orientation engage in homosexual behavior, while others who identify as heterosexual engage in homosexual behavior in settings where contact with the opposite sex is prohibited or restricted. People who oppose homosexuality as a sexual issue often confuse the two. People who engage in homosexual behavior solely for the sake of it are not homosexual because there is no love between them. They are merely realizing their sexual desires with the wrong object. In this case, it’s an anti-human behavior, as opponents of homosexuality would say. On the other hand, whatever people with genuine same-sex attraction do, we cannot interfere or constrain them. There are people who have same-sex attractions but do not engage in homosexual behavior due to religious beliefs or other reasons. Their decisions should be respected, and all should be treated as the result of their own free will.
A topic that often comes up in connection with homosexual orientation and behavior is AIDS. Some people believe that AIDS is caused by homosexuality and that it is more contagious among them, but this is an ignorant assumption. AIDS is caused when bodily fluids from someone who has the HIV virus enter the victim’s body. It is a disease that has nothing to do with sexual orientation, as both heterosexual and homosexual people can get it if they don’t value their bodies.
South Korea’s conservative society still has a strict stance on homosexuality. On the surface, it seems like it’s becoming more accepting, but in reality, it’s not. If a family member or friend came out as gay, would you find it easy to accept them? The answer is probably no for many people. However, many misconceptions and prejudices about homosexuals stem from not seeing them as whole people. Little by little, we should try to bring them into the realm of their own emotions and reason, even if it’s difficult at first. Before homosexuals can claim their rights, they need to think and reflect on why they have been viewed so poorly. Some homosexuals have a very private life, and if they truly care about homosexuality, they should behave like other heterosexuals. As long as we continue to try to understand each other’s differences, and mutual respect is achieved, we can look forward to a more socially, ethically, and morally stable time.
