South Korea: Homophobia hampers with testing of new coronavirus infections

While South Korea is grappling to contain second wave of coronavirus infections, country is also seeing a rise in homophobia which is making it difficult for sexual mirities to come forward for a diagstic test. According to an international media outlet, spike in new COVID-19 infections is thought to be linked to nightspots in Seoul as first confirmed patient in new cluster was a 29-year-old, who visited nightclubs and bars, mainly popular with gay men, in a single night before testing positive for virus last week.  

After an investigation, authorities reportedly found more than 100 infections that were linked to nightspots. Soon after media reported about places man visited in Seoul’s Itaewon entertainment neighbourhood, several internet users flooded social media platforms with anti-gay slurs. Netizens even started blaming man and those at club for endangering country’s fight against dely pandemic. 

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While anti-gay sentiments still run deep in conservative country, several activist groups have criticised media report by a local newspaper and said that it was irrelevant that some of nightspots man went to were popular with gay people and report shouldn’t have disclosed it. activists have argued that it still t kwn how big role man played in second wave of outbreak. y also reportedly said that local infections in Itaewon may have alrey begun before he contracted illness. 

‘Denunciation of certain community isn’t helpful’ 

Meanwhile, authorities are still trying to track down and test thousands of people who may have come in contact with those infected. However, officials also pointed out that process is getting difficult as re is a ‘sexual stigma’ attached to it. While speaking to an international media outlet, Lee Jong-geol, general director of gay rights vocacy group Chingusai, said that dozens of sexual mirities who h recently visited Itaewon clubs called his office and expressed worry about being outed or disvantd at work if y are placed under quarantine.

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While Lee said that anxiety and fear have flared inside of sexual mirity communities, South Korean Prime Minister and several health officials also expressed worry that surge in homophobic sentiment could hurt virus fight. Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho also reportedly said that police were trying to track down club and bar patrons, however, y haven’t been able to contact. 

Chung in a televised briefing said, "At least under viewpoint of quarantine, denunciation of a certain community isn't helpful. If contacts avoid diagstic tests in fear of criticism, our society has to shoulder its entire consequences”. 

(Inputs: PTI; Im: AP)

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