The prevailing social model among the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) in South Korea is to maintain somewhat sexually free but separate social enclaves. This strategy avoids significant public backlash and government oppression. However, the situation leaves them without legal protection, social acceptance, or significant public space for expressing their sexual identity. Supporters of greater integration pursue a politically activist model, which advocates government recognition and protection of the LGBT as an oppressed minority. This strategy faces determined opposition from some Christian groups and a mostly indifferent public. We highlight a complementary “bridging-dialogue” model in which individual LGBT persons nurture communicative social ties with members of the larger society in ostensibly non-political settings. Although emerging and limited, the bridging strategy attracts many more participants than does identity politics and generates genuine dialogue and other social exchange among different groups, including conservative Christians and foreign-origin LGBTs. Bridging-dialogue also appeals to a younger generation of Koreans, who are more tolerant of and curious about ethnic and sexual diversity.
韩国性少数人群融入社会的路径
韩国LGBT（女同性恋者、男同性恋者、双性恋者、跨性别者）中最普遍的社会模式是保持具有一定性自由但单独存在的社会“飞地”。这种策略避免公众的强烈反弹和政府的打压。然而这种处境下LGBT缺乏法律保护、社会接纳以及能允许他们表达性身份的重要的社会空间。支持LGBT更多融入社会的人士则采纳一种政治活动分子模式，倡导政府应承认LGBT 为受压制的少数人群并加以保护。这一策略受到某些基督教群体的坚决抵制，而公众绝大多数对此漠不关心。我们则指出一种互补型的“搭桥—对话”模式，其中LGBT个人在貌似非政治情境中与广阔社会的更多成员培养建立沟通性的社会联系。尽管搭桥策略尚在初起阶段，局限性很强，但比身份政治能吸引更多的参与者，并与包括保守的基督教徒和来自外国的LGBT人士开展了真诚的对话和其它社会交流。搭桥—对话策略同时也对韩国的更年轻一代具有吸引力，他们对族裔和性别多样性的容忍度更高，也更有好奇心。
Translated from English by Li Guo
Joseph Yi