Woo Ji-yang, 33, is a deaf gay man based in the southern city of Busan. For most of his life, he felt shame and humiliation when he introduced his sexual identity in Korean Sign Language (KSL). The manual sign for “gay” in KSL describes an act of anal intercourse between two men. Gyeonggi-based gay man Kim Bo-seok, 34, confessed he has lived through dilemma similar to that of Woo. He has been a bridge between the hearing and deaf community as a child of deaf parents and a sign language researcher studying KSL for his Ph.D., but the sign language expressions that contain overly sexualized and degrading connotations of sexual minorities have made him hesitate to come out and live freely for a long time.
Posted : 2021-02-08 09:37
Updated : 2021-02-08 16:18
Sign language artist Saori Fujimoto performs K-pop giant BTS s ON (2020). Courtesy of Saori Fujimoto
By Dong Sun-hwa
After falling under the spell of K-pop boy band TVXQ, a Japanese high school girl began to learn about Korea and its language before actively pursuing her dream job in the entertainment industry here three years ago ― away from her parents who did not approve of her career choice.
When she arrived in Korea, the whole nation was in a festive mood ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics. Saori Fujimoto, now 31, did not know her decision to work as a promoter for the event would change her life. Touched by the passion and the spirit of the Para-athletes, she started to learn Korean Sign Language (KSL) after the Games, in the hopes of connecting the hearing impaired to the world.