South Korea is slowly moving toward LGBTQ acceptance — and the Olympics can help

When LGBTQ Olympians traveled to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Games, they stepped into a battle none of them particularly wanted to fight.

A year prior, Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed the country’s first anti-gay propaganda law. The government was in the middle of a brutal crackdown against the LGBTQ population, and queer Olympians were tasked with responding to it — all while somehow trying to prepare for the world’s most prestigious athletic competition. 

Fast forward four years to Pyeongchang, and LGBTQ Olympians can expect a different, albeit complicated, situation. This year’s Winter Olympics will have a record 13 out athletes, and anti-gay paranoia has somewhat subsided. That’s partly due to increased familiarity, and partially to cultural context. South Korea is not Putin’s Russia, but activists stress that the country still has a long way to go. Read more…

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