Recently, there are many movies or dramas about homosexuality. Taking this opportunity, the media is making people interested in homosexuality, and people have started to think about it. In fact, Korea has a hundred thousand homosexual people. However, there are subconscious prejudices against them.
In 1973, the U.S. Society of Mental Medicine eliminated homosexuality from the chart of mental diseases. France, which is 60 percent Catholic, passed the Pacte Civile de Solidarit (PACS), and they admitted the marriage of homosexuals. Netherlands is a Catholic nation too. The congress of the Netherlands overpoweringly passed the bill which permitted homosexual marriage. Because of this, recognition of homosexuality is more general.
However, it is difficult to live in Korea as a homosexual. To give an actual instance, there was one woman who notified the police about her senior. She was threatened by her senior because of her homosexuality. Surprisingly, she was disgraced by the police for the same reason. Also, another man complained to the police because he was threatened by someone. Also, the police laughed at him for the same reason. Many homosexuals experienced disgrace from police investigations. Why does Korea have prejudice against homosexuals even in such public organizations?
First, Korean culture is based on traditional Confucianism. Homosexuality has been taboo from long ago. Different from other nations, oppression of homosexuality started in the family. Children learned prejudices about homosexuality in their homes.
Second, the instruction of Christian made prejudice about homosexuality long ago. Once, there was a devout Christianity who was also a homosexual. In the end, he left the church. He thought that he was against God. Because of this, most homosexuals have problems with their origin of birth. They lose their self-identity, and it raises a maladjusted mental conflict.
Finally, public education has no concern for homosexual problems. In most cases, public education deals with the problems in the negative. This makes the suicide rate of homosexual teenagers increase and has a bad influence upon their studies.
Korea couldn’t follow the global trend. Korean says that they comprehend homosexuality, but actually they don’t. They threat them like outsiders. Therefore, most homosexuals became maladjusted. However, the effect overcoming the prejudice of homosexuals is rare.
The existence of homosexuality has not been easily accepted in the society, religion or ethics in Korea. However, homosexuality is becoming generalized. Various countries admitted the marriage and legalized the rights of homosexuals. It is not logical that Korean doesn’t allow homosexuality just because other countries admitted them. However, people should respect the expression of sexuality. Everyone has a right of keeping self-realization about their sexuality.