update: korean non-discrimination bill

the international community is keeping tabs on the situation of soko homos.

last month, the international gay and lesbian human rights commission (iglhrc), published an update to the non-discrimination bill still under consideration by the south korean government. (read my original post.)

in summary, after christian groups successfully lobbied to have homos removed from the bill's updated version, korea's iban (이반) (lgbt) community mobilized protests, international media outreach and community meetings to get the protections reinstated.

one major outcome of the organizing thus far was the creation of the "alliance against homophobia and discrimination against sexual minorities." although the non-discrimination bill is still being considered by the korean government, the newly-formed coalition of south korean lgbtq groups is working with human rights lawyers to develop a new law that would:

(1) restore the 7 eliminated categories
(2) require defendants accused of discriminating to prove their innocence
(3) introduce mandatory punitive damages, and
(4) grant legislative authority to the national human rights committee to designate the new bill as law.

plans are also underway for a korean queer activist camp later this year.

korea's conservative president-elect, lee myung-bak, will formally take the reigns on february 25, 2008. his previous statements about homosexuality's "abnormality" do not portend well for korea's homos, but stay tuned.