“저희도 매일 학교에 가요…성소수자 학생 외면 말아주세요”

A 15-year-old LGBTQ+ student in Gyeonggi-do has appealed to the Ministry of Education, urging them to restore LGBTQ+ related content that was removed from the national 'hate and discrimination expression response guidebook'. This controversy stems from the removal of content related to sexual orientation and gender identity in the guidebook, leading to criticism from various civil society organizations.

On this day, 132 civil society organizations gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul to call for the immediate restoration of the removed LGBTQ+ content in the guidebook. These organizations include the National Teachers' Union, Discrimination Prohibition Law Enforcement Alliance, Queer Youth Support Center, and the Korean LGBTQ+ Human Rights Alliance.

The organizations' voices, including those of 160 LGBTQ+ students, were read out by Yungsoon Ljung, the head of the Queer Youth Support Team. One 17-year-old LGBTQ+ student from Seoul emphasized that being "deleted will not erase us; erasing us will not make our existence disappear forever." Another 16-year-old student from Gwangju stressed the need for the Ministry of Education to actively address the incorrect perceptions and discriminatory culture surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals.

The organizations argued that removing LGBTQ+ content from the guidebook undermines its purpose of fostering a respectful and inclusive school culture, and called for the restoration of all removed LGBTQ+ related content and the clear commitment to addressing hate and discrimination against them.