THIS MONTH IN THE KOREAN ADOPTEE COMMUNITY - June 2025
PRIDE, IDENTITY, AND BELONGING: A REFLECTION FOR KOREAN ADOPTEES DURING PRIDE MONTH
By Jon Oaks
Every June, Pride Month offers a moment to celebrate the lives, struggles, and resilience of LGBTQ+ communities around the world. For Korean adoptees who identify as LGBTQ+, this month holds additional meaning—bringing together complex themes of identity, belonging, visibility, and healing.
Why Pride Month Matters to Korean Adoptees
Korean adoptees often grow up navigating complicated questions around cultural identity, race, and family. For LGBTQ+ adoptees, these layers can be even more complex. Coming out or exploring one’s gender and sexual identity may feel especially isolating when compounded by feelings of disconnection from birth culture, language, or community.
Pride Month serves as an opportunity to center those experiences, recognize the emotional labor of self-discovery, and celebrate the courage it takes to live authentically.
LGBTQ+ Life and Culture in Korea
Thousands gather in Seoul each year for the Seoul Queer Culture Festival
For Korean adoptees living in or planning to visit Korea, it’s important to understand the evolving landscape of LGBTQ+ rights and visibility in Korean society. LGBTQ+ activism in Korea gained momentum in the 1990s, and in recent years, Korean media has begun to feature more LGBTQ+ characters and themes—though representation still lags behind. Many Korean adoptees visiting Korea for the first time are surprised by both the vibrant queer subcultures and the simultaneous societal hesitancy toward LGBTQ+ issues.
Tips for Adoptees Visiting Korea:
Be mindful of public displays of affection, which are often more culturally discouraged in general—not just for same-sex couples.
LGBTQ+ nightlife and community centers can be found in neighborhoods like Itaewon (Seoul) and Haeundae (Busan).
Consider connecting with groups like Chingusai (Between Friends), which promotes gay men’s health and human rights in Korea. Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea also hosts public events and provides education and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF): Held annually in June, this is the largest LGBTQ+ event in South Korea, bringing together activists, artists, and allies. Despite pushback from conservative groups, the event continues to grow each year. This year’s dates are June 1–22, 2025.
Highlighting LGBTQ+ Korean Adoptees
Here are a few LGBTQ+ Korean adoptees whose stories are helping reshape narratives and create space for others:
Andy Hong Marra
Sam Park is the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia State Legislature. A Korean adoptee and advocate for equality and healthcare access, his leadership is paving the way for more inclusive representation in U.S. politics.
Pauline Park is a transracial adoptee, Pauline is a transgender rights activist based in New York. Her work has focused on policy advocacy and intersectional justice, and she was the first openly transgender person to serve on the New York Human Rights Commission.
Andy Hong Marra is a Korean American adoptee and Chief Executive Officer of Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), she was previously the executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. Her leadership and advocacy reflect a lifelong commitment to advancing LGBTQI and adoptee rights.
Resources and Events
Pride Month can be a powerful time of reflection, celebration, and connection. For Korean adoptees—especially those in the LGBTQ+ community—finding affirming spaces and support is vital. Here are several events and resources to explore:
GAPIMNY Based in New York, the group centers around building community for queer and trans Asian Pacific Islanders. They offer advocacy, workshops, and social gatherings that may resonate with Korean adoptees seeking connection and affirmation.
Rainbow Adoptees: The Intersection of Queerness & Adoption This recorded webinar by Adoptees United features LGBTQ+ adoptees sharing their experiences navigating identity, belonging, and adoption.
BIPOC Adoptee Voices Conference This annual virtual conference (September 13–15, 2024) brings together adoptees of color to share their stories, build community, and explore identity at the intersection of race, adoption, and queerness.
The Trevor Project A national organization offering 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ+ youth. The Trevor Project also provides resources on coming out, mental health, and navigating identity.
Closing Thoughts
To LGBTQ+ Korean adoptees: you are not alone. Your identity is valid, and your voice matters. Whether you’re out, questioning, or simply seeking spaces where you can feel affirmed, there is community waiting for you. Pride is not just about celebration—it’s also about finding safety, solidarity, and connection in a world that can feel fragmented.
To adoptees supporting LGBTQ+ friends or family: thank you. Your presence, compassion, and willingness to listen make a difference. This month is a great time to educate yourself, show up as an ally, and help create inclusive spaces within adoptee and adoptive communities.
Pride Month is about more than rainbow flags or celebrations—it’s about truth, safety, and joy. For LGBTQ+ Korean adoptees, this month can be a powerful time of reflection and renewal.
Whether you are just beginning to explore this part of your identity or are long into the journey, you are part of a vibrant, resilient, and beautiful community.
Your story matters. Your truth matters. And you deserve to be loved fully—for who you are.
*Banner Image Concept by Jon Oaks; rendering of young Korean boy wearing Pride shirt created with the assistance of AI tools, behind him are the Pride and South Korean flags
