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87 How do you feel being gay in Korean society? As a Korean, I can understand them (Koreans who reject LGBTQ people). But it makes me feel horrible, especially when someone who hates gays is so harsh and ignorant. I feel like many Koreans do not want to try to see things from another person’s point of view. But some things are changing slowly in Korea. It will take time, but there is hope. Have you ever been bullied for being gay? I have never been outed, and I have only come out to a couple people I really trust. It is dangerous to come out completely in Ko- rea, even though it is necessary for things to really change. I have only come out to people who I know will accept me, so I have pro- tected myself from bullying. But I have seen and heard of other gay Korean teenagers being bullied for their sexuality. How important is a safe space for Korean lGbTQ youth? Nobody knows how many Korean teens are kicked out of their homes for being gay. The government does not keep statistics on that kind of thing. But I know, personally, that some Korean teens are kicked out of their homes for their sexual orientation. Korea would definitely be a better place if those teens had a place to go. Though the Korean government is actively working on suicide pre- vention as a general issue among the country’s youth population, it is, at the same time, actively exacerbating the problems faced by queer Korean youth. The government expresses concern for Ko- rean youth, yet seems perfectly willing to throw the demographic’s queer population under the bus, a move that either stems from their own fear of homosexuality or is used as a means for political ad- vancement. This is evident in the recent moves by the Ministry of Education: first, its role in reinserting homophobic statements in the Life and Ethics public school textbooks, and, secondly, by removing lan- guage from the Seoul Student’s Rights Ordinance protecting stu- dents from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Given the aforementioned statistics regarding LGBTQ youth suicide, protecting queer Korean teens and providing them a safe space has never been more vital. Acting in the government’s ab- sence, six organizations have aligned to create the Rainbow Teen Safe Space, a shelter that will open in early 2014. The organiza- tions involved in this project are the Queer Koreans Alliance, Chris- tian Solidarity for a World Without Discrimination, the Dari Project, Open Doors Community Church, Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea and Sumdol Presbyterian Church. The mission of Safe Space is to assist, care for and empower LGBTQ Korean youth in at-risk situations, and to offer resources for their continued healthy self-development. We want to help queer teens find hope and a home, as well as a community in which they can feel accepted, affirmed and supported. It is urgent to prepare a multidimensional support system by providing crisis intervention, counseling for psychological pain and trauma, and restoring rela- tionships with parents and peers. MoRE InFo Rev. Daniel Payne is a pastor of open Doors Community Church in Itaewon, Seoul. He was featured in Groove Korea’s April 2012 issue. For more information on the Rainbow teen Safe Space, visit www.queerkoreans.org or email Rev. Payne at koreanrainbow@ gmail.com.