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A significant number of lesbians in South Korea have suffered ostracism and discrimination due to their sexual orientation, a survey suggests. According to the poll announced Monday by the Lesbian Rights Research Institute, which interviewed 507 women in their 20s and 30s in Daegu, Busan and Seoul who consider themselves gay, 83.4 percent of respondents said they experienced discrimination or disadvantages due to their orientation. Among disadvantages, lack of emotional stability was cited most often with 30.2 percent, while 28 percent named conflict with family and friends, 5.9 percent cited disadvantages at school or work or being threatened with exposure, and 1 percent reported sexual assault.
More than half or 55.9 percent of the respondents said they had wanted to conceal their sexuality. Of these, 29.5 percent said they were afraid what would happen if their family and friends found out, 12.6 percent lacked the confidence to live as a lesbian, and 11.2 percent were motivated by a perception that being gay is abnormal. Asked what made coming out difficult, most cited fear of the changes that would bring in their relationship with others (28 percent).
Most respondents said they found out they were gay in their teens with 61.5 percent, while 31 percent found out in their 20s. Some 59.4 percent said they had dated men. ˇ°People in this society have a fixed and biased view that only heterosexuality is normal,ˇ± the institute said. ˇ°That prejudice is leaving lesbians exposed to both conflict and crime, and something must be done to improve the situation.ˇ±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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