[INTERVIEW] How Christianity and LGBTQ rights meet in two religious leaders' mission

Anglican priest Min-Kim Jong-hun, left, and Rev. Lim Bo-rah, a pastor of Sumdol Presbyterian Church, pose during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, July 15. The two religious leaders are members of the Korean Translation and Publication Committee of "The Queer Bible Commentary," which provides LGBTQ-based and feminist interpretation of scripture. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Anglican priest and Presbyterian pastor discuss Seoul's pride celebration, Korean translation of 'The Queer Bible Commentary'

By Park Han-sol

Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF) traces its history back to 2000, when less than 100 members of the LGBTQ community first gathered in solidarity in the central Seoul neighborhood of Daehangno for a few rainy days in September.

While the annual festival has grown significantly in size since then ― relocating eventually to Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall in 2015 ― so have the rallies led by conservative Christian groups in protest of the event.

SQCF's 23rd edition, which returned for just a single day on July 16 following a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, was no different.

Surrounding the rainbow-colored venue and its tens of thousands of revelers were fervent Christian opponents of sexual minorities, armed with banners, whistles, microphones and vans with loudspeaker systems installed to make their opposition loud and clear.

Some common sights of such rallies are a prayer vigil held under the slogan "Homosexuality is sin. Repent! Return to Jesus"; small children dressed in camouflage "ROK Jesus Army" uniforms chanting "Let's eradicate same-sex marriage"; and campaigners collecting signatures to "prevent Korea from turning into another Sodom and Gomorrah."

A demonstrator holds up a banner that reads, "Philip Goldberg U.S. Ambassador No! We condemn the American Embassy for destroying the alliance of both countries!" during a rally organized by conservative Christian groups in opposition to the Seoul Queer Culture Festival in central Seoul, July 16. Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol

This year, many also expressed their disapproval of Philip Goldberg, the new U.S. ambassador to Korea who gave a speech supporting LGBTQ rights at SQCF, claiming that his appointment would "break down sacred U.S.-Korea alliance."

However, in the cloudy afternoon of July 16, the voices of Christian believers and clerics could be heard not only outside Seoul Plaza but also in the heart of the festival venue ― from booths run by LGBTQ-affirming churches and organizations.

Among them were Anglican priest Min-Kim Jong-hun, or Father Zacchaeus, and Rev. Lim Bo-rah, a pastor of Sumdol Presbyterian Church.

"We speak of the SQCF as a kind of a holiday for the LGBTQ community and their allies ― a day of liberation and visibility that comes once a year," Min-Kim, who has taken part in SQCF as a clergyman since 2014, told The Korea Times in a recent joint interview with Lim.

For this year's Queer Parade, which marks the highlight of the festival, the group marching right up at the front in solidarity amid the heavy downpour was a coalition of religious leaders and members of Catholic, Protestant and Anglican churches, as well as believers of Buddhism and Won Buddhism.

"The image of such a coalition all marching together in the parade changes the dynamics of the conflict. This is no longer an issue of 'religion versus LGBTQ people' but that of supporters of sexual and gender minorities' rights and their opponents," he said.

A coalition of religious leaders and members of Catholic, Protestant and Anglican churches, as well as believers of Buddhism and Won Buddhism, march during this year's Seoul Queer Parade, July 16. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Both Lim and Min-Kim have been publicly recognized for years as staunch religious supporters of LGBTQ rights, irking Korea's more conservative Christian denominations.

For Lim, a fateful encounter came in 2007, when she learned that the bill for an anti-discrimination law ― which bans discrimination on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, nationality and disability ― was proposed but later thwarted due to strong opposition from some Christian organizations. After 15 years, the bill is still stuck in legal limbo.

"That was when I began to question the arguments launched to trample on homosexuality on the basis of the so-called teachings of the scripture," she said.

The Bible, written, compiled and translated by multiple contributors over millennia, inevitably becomes open to differing interpretations, according to the two religious leaders.

Obsessing over biblical literalism while ignoring the scripture's interpretive possibilities could result in limited or selective understanding of the text and perpetuate distorted views in the context of present-day reality, they stated.

"As a pastor, based on my faith and theological background, I felt that the issue of sexual minorities ― just like that of women and social minorities in general ― should be a matter of interest to everyone," Lim noted.

Her Sumdol Presbyterian Church in Seoul remains as one of few LGBTQ-affirming churches in the country.

For Min-Kim, the spirit of solidarity with the LGBTQ community first stemmed from his childhood in the 1970s, as he was raised by his mother who was an impoverished, young divorcee.

"We were never a part of a so-called 'normal' family, pushed to the fringes of society by the heteronormative and patriarchal values that prevailed at the time."

It was the church that provided young Min-Kim a chance to experience a new, inclusive form of family that transcends blood ties.

"That was why I could not stand some of the Korean churches' attempts to push away or persecute other marginalized groups, when in fact, it should be their job to walk alongside them," he said.

The priest recalled one sentence uttered by a queer Christian believer who asked him a decade ago: "Would God ever love a person like me?"

The encounter prompted him to turn his eyes to the community of LGBTQ Christians, who have been battered by the church's discriminatory rhetoric and yet continued to hold on to their faith ― but for how long?

Such a question is what motivates him to continue his religious mission to this day, as he runs Yongsan Nanum House of the Anglican Church of Korea, which is dedicated mainly to promoting the rights of sexual minorities and undocumented immigrants.

Anglican priest Min-Kim Jong-hun, left, and Rev. Lim Bo-rah, a pastor of Sumdol Presbyterian Church, speak during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, July 15. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

7-year-long journey of translating 'The Queer Bible Commentary' into Korean

As they carried on with their fight against mainstream conservative Christian groups over the years, Lim and Min-Kim continued to witness a series of church-backed efforts to thwart the anti-discrimination law and shut down the annual SQCF, and in some cases even physical confrontations.

Because such Christian organizations claimed time after time that they were acting solely on the basis of "the teachings of the scripture," Lim, along with her like-minded colleagues, came to the realization that it was time to bring the wind of change within Korean Christian communities through the translation of "The Queer Bible Commentary" (QBC).

Originally published in English in 2006, the one-volume text compiles unorthodox works of scholars and pastors, whose mission was to analyze the biblical text by drawing on "feminist, queer, deconstructionist, utopian theories, the social sciences and historical-critical discourses."

Due to the sheer length and layered complexity of the content, translating the work was a daunting task for the Korean pastors.

Soon, at the initiative of Lim, the organizers decided to recruit volunteers willing to join their project.

The Korean Translation and Publication Committee of the QBC was formed in 2015, tasked with translating each chapter of the original text into two separate volumes: the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

While the original QBC already boasted more than 30 writers of diverse academic backgrounds, it is notable that the Korean committee consisted of even a greater number of contributors who became involved in the processes of translation, proofreading and publication.

According to Lim, over 50 professors of theology, clerics and Christian believers of different gender identities and sexual orientations became a part of the project, turning it into a truly communal effort.

As expected, it was a journey full of trials and tribulations. The rough draft translation took years to complete, with many volunteers dropping out ― for various reasons ― and new ones picking up where the previous left off.

In 2017, years before the QBC even went into print, the General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in Korea accused Lim of heresy for endorsing LGBTQ rights and coordinating the translation of the unorthodox biblical commentary.

The books, upon their release, should be "forbidden" within its congregations and both public and private meetings of church youth groups, its statement read.

The Korea Institute of Rainbow Theology, founded by Kim Joon-woo, a former professor at the Methodist Theological University, received threats from other denominations following his decision to publish the books.

Such an atmosphere explains why the majority of the Korean translators chose to be credited with aliases rather than their real names.

But the translated QBC volumes were successfully published after all ― first the Hebrew Bible in 2021 and then the New Testament this year.

"I would like to say that the books were brought to life only because each and every one of our members decided to accept risks, in whatever form they may be," Lim said.

"The Queer Bible Commentary" has been translated into two Korean volumes ― the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament ― by the Korean Translation and Publication Committee of the QBC. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The publication of the two volumes was achieved via crowdfunding, led mainly by Min-Kim and other activists.

While financial factors indeed played a role in this decision, a crowdfunding campaign was also launched in the spirit of continuing the "communal experience" that lasted throughout the translation and proofreading processes.

But the organizers never expected how overwhelming the community's support was going to be.

Much to everyone's surprise, in less than two hours after the crowdfunding campaign for "QBC: The Hebrew Bible" was launched online, it reached its goal amount.

Ultimately, they were able to raise over 60 million won from more than 1,300 supporters in the two separate campaigns.

Although the two volumes were intended mainly for theology experts and clerics, the supporters of the books included both believers and non-believers, who were either members of the LGBTQ community or their allies.

"This isn't a book intended for light reading. But I was very much moved to see the supporters purchasing the volumes for themselves or as gifts for others purely because of their life stories," Min-Kim said.

"The Korean churches are increasingly becoming something like an isolated empire that exists for select members of society. I believe that the desire for change coming from other Christians, which was reflected in our crowdfunding campaign, carries significant symbolic meaning."

With tears in his eyes, the priest recalled one particular comment he received from a campaign backer.

"They told me that they had already abandoned the church and God, with no intention of ever going back," he said. "But they decided to purchase the book anyway, solely because they don't want anyone else to experience what they've gone through."

The two religious leaders stated that the translated QBC can play several remarkable roles within the context of Korean Christianity.

One is to offer some comfort to queer Christians.

"I hope that when LGBTQ Christians come across sentences within the pages that can help them positively reaffirm their identity, they'll be able to let out a breath and perhaps bandage their wounds," Lim said.

Another role that the book can play is to challenge the conservative Christian denominations' one-sided, selective readings of the Bible, especially in terms of their distorted views toward certain social minorities.

Referring to the words of the original book, Lim said the QBC provides strategic "counter-interpretation" that aims to actively question the dominant religious narratives upheld for centuries.

It's not about coming up with one "accurate" interpretation, as the scriptures contain many other interpretive possibilities. Rather, it's about "queering" the text in the original sense of the word ― to turn something that was accepted without question into something "strange and peculiar" that invites deeper consideration, she continued.

That is why Lim welcomed feedback from participants in a book-reading session, who argued that some of the contents found within the pages sound "forced" and even "contrived."

"The whole point of the book is to help set off a flood of questions that challenge or take issues with the biblical verses, making them as subjects of open discussion, instead of passively accepting them as the ultimate truth," she said.

In other words, it's creating a crack into the centuries-old practices and beliefs ― a crack that could ultimately lead to fundamental change.

Participants of the Seoul Queer Parade wave to conservative Christian protesters across the street, who hold banners that read, "No! Anti-Discrimination Law," July 16. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

"I think that generally speaking, Korean Christianity is currently in a state of inertia," Min-Kim noted. "While it's good to uphold the good side of tradition embodied in the religious canon, churches should not confine themselves within prejudices and their limited definitions of what is constituted as taboo."

For the two religious leaders, the QBC is a meaningful attempt for believers to critically reexamine their faith-based views and equip themselves with an "alternative" mindset.

They added that the changes made in the church's institutionalized system is reflective of ― and also impacts ― the changes taking place in society.

"That's why I think it's important for institutions like Sumdol Presbyterian Church and Yongsan Nanum House to continue to send signals to others that we will serve as a community for safe and equal relationships for all minorities," Min-Kim said.

"We the churches should not suffocate those fighting for changes by spewing words of hate and discrimination."

A rainbow flag unfurls at Seoul Plaza during the Seoul Queer Culture Festival, July 16. Yonhap