btw this doesn’t make sense even if you’re from the west. at least as an american, people who act like you can just “come out” just bc it’s the USA don’t remember it was illegal for same-sex marriage until 2016. we Just hit 10 years and as an openly gay man who is married, i still feel scared being openly affectionate w my husband when we’re in public. and we live in california lmao.
it’s simply straight people disillusioned to a reality that they’ve never experienced.
THANK YOU. Where I come from in the US the "good ol boys" joke DAILY about violence against LGBT+. Even where I live now it's not entirely safe just because it's "legal". I'm so tired of people being like "you don't understand, in a Korea--" Yes, we do lmao. Hate crime is very much alive and well in the US AND they've already removed legal protections for employment. It's terrifying to be LGBT in the US right now too.
South Korea is a country where LGBTQ+ rights are still largely invisible in the legal system. Same-sex marriage isn't recognized. There's no comprehensive anti-discrimination law that explicitly protects sexual orientation. And socially, the pressure to conform is immense.
So when people casually say, "Why don't they just come out?" or dismiss the fear as overblown, it shows they don't understand the real weight of that decision in a country where silence is still the price of survival for most LGBTQ+ Koreans.
It's not about being afraid of a few mean comments. It's about risking your entire life's work, your relationships, and your safety.