In this blog post, I’ll examine the social controversies and prejudices surrounding homosexuality and consider why it should not be a target of discrimination or controversy.
Why is homosexuality constantly a subject of controversy?
In 2015, a kissing scene between female high school students in the South Korean JTBC drama ‘Seonam Girls’ High School Detective Club’ sparked controversy after it aired. The Korea Communications Standards Commission issued a warning regarding the scene, which only served to intensify the controversy. At that time, celebrity Hong Seok-cheon’s coming out also drew significant public attention, and not only famous international actors but also Tim Cook, then CEO of Apple, received extensive media coverage after publicly revealing his sexual orientation in 2014. As these examples show, any issue related to homosexuality—whether involving a celebrity or a character in a drama—can have a massive social impact. So why, exactly, must homosexuality always be mired in controversy?
Looking at the case of ‘Seonam Girls’ High School Detective Club’, the reasons for the warning can be summarized as follows: “It could promote homosexuality” and “there were issues with the level of explicit depiction of homosexuality.” Upon observing the Korea Communications Standards Commission’s ruling at the time, I concluded that the reason homosexuality remains controversial ultimately stems from ignorance and prejudice. Does watching a same-sex kiss scene make you want to engage in same-sex relationships? Are same-sex kiss scenes problematic, while opposite-sex kiss scenes are not? If one cannot provide satisfactory answers to these two questions, the issue can ultimately only be interpreted as discrimination against homosexuality. However, the core issue actually raised by the Korea Communications Standards Commission at the time was not homosexuality itself, but rather the manner in which a kissing scene between female high school students was broadcast—specifically, the prolonged close-up of the scene in a program aimed at adolescents—and whether this violated broadcasting standards. Therefore, rather than concluding that homosexuality itself was the subject of the review, it is necessary to examine whether the review criteria applied to depictions featuring homosexuality were applied consistently compared to those applied to heterosexual depictions.
What are some common misconceptions surrounding homosexuality?
First, let’s examine some common misconceptions about homosexuality. These include the following. First is the misconception that “homosexuality is wrong.” Why is homosexuality wrong? I believe few people can provide a proper answer to this question. The arguments put forward by those who believe homosexuality is wrong often include religious reasons or the claim that humans are born to be heterosexual. The claim that humans are born to be heterosexual assigns a specific purpose to human existence itself; since the premise that such a purpose objectively exists must first be proven, it is difficult to draw the conclusion that homosexuality is wrong based on this argument alone. Opposing homosexuality on religious grounds is also a position that individuals may hold as a matter of personal belief; however, if that position alone is used to label homosexuality as “wrong” and restrict the rights and freedoms of others, it can lead to issues of discrimination. In fact, even in societies with strong religious traditions, perceptions of homosexuality and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as related laws and institutions, have continued to evolve; in the United States, same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide following a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The second misconception is that “homosexuality is a mental illness.” Homosexuality is not classified as a mental illness. The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1973 and still does not consider homosexuality itself to be a mental illness. The World Health Organization also removed homosexuality from its list of diseases in the International Classification of Diseases in 1990. Therefore, classifying homosexuality itself as a mental illness is inconsistent with current medical and psychiatric standards. In addition, baseless misconceptions such as “homosexuals spread AIDS” or “homosexuals are promiscuous” still persist. HIV infection does not result from homosexuality itself but can be transmitted through various routes, including exposure to specific bodily fluids—such as blood, semen, and vaginal secretions—or sexual contact. Therefore, equating the risk of HIV infection with a specific sexual orientation is inaccurate. Furthermore, the claim that gay people are promiscuous is merely a generalization that judges an individual’s sexual behavior or lifestyle based solely on sexual orientation. If promiscuous behavior is the issue, that standard should be applied equally regardless of sexual orientation.
Along with the misconceptions mentioned above, one of the perceptions that exacerbates the controversy surrounding homosexuality is the claim that “homosexuality is acquired.” However, even if we assume that homosexuality is influenced by environmental factors, there is no reason for it to be a subject of controversy or discrimination. If it is a matter of personal preference or individual characteristics, it should naturally be treated with respect rather than discrimination; even if environmental factors play a partial role, that in itself does not constitute grounds for viewing homosexuality negatively. Furthermore, based on current scientific understanding, it is difficult to pinpoint a single cause for the formation of sexual orientation; research suggests that a combination of biological, developmental, and environmental factors likely plays a role. Therefore, it is inappropriate to simply dichotomize whether homosexuality is entirely innate or acquired. What is important is that, regardless of the cause of sexual orientation, the mere fact that it is a personal characteristic that does not harm others means it cannot serve as a basis for discrimination.
Does homosexuality really increase due to the influence of others?
Occasionally, some people argue that legalizing same-sex marriage or refraining from penalizing homosexuality will encourage it and lead to an increase in the number of homosexuals. Others claim that anyone who supports LGBT rights is homosexual. It’s not as if anyone is advertising that one should be homosexual; simply encouraging a natural acceptance of homosexuality does not mean that a heterosexual person will suddenly become homosexual. Just as emphasizing to a vegetarian that eating meat is not strange does not suddenly make that person prefer a meat-based diet. In particular, since homosexuality occurs even in social environments where heterosexuality is portrayed as very natural, it is not valid to view it as arising solely from external encouragement. The American Psychiatric Association also reports that the causes of sexual orientation have not yet been fully elucidated and that multiple factors may interact, and it states that there is no evidence that sexual orientation can be reliably and safely changed. The claim that “supporting homosexuality makes one homosexual” is no different from saying that “speaking out for firefighters’ human rights makes one a firefighter” or that “speaking out for a criminal’s human rights turns that person into a criminal.” This is because recognizing the rights of a specific group and opposing discrimination against it are distinct from belonging to that group.
A past survey conducted in Japan reported that 7.6% of the population identified as LGBTQ+, but subsequent surveys have reported even higher percentages. For example, in a 2023 survey conducted by Dentsu Japan, a preliminary survey of 57,500 Japanese residents aged 20 to 59 found that 9.7% of respondents identified as LGBTQ+. This equates to approximately one in ten people. However, since this figure is based on a survey of a specific age group rather than official national statistics covering the entire Japanese population, it should not be interpreted as the exact proportion of Japan’s total population. Nevertheless, these survey results remind us that sexual minorities are not a rare phenomenon but rather people living alongside us in all corners of society. In South Korea as well, statistics and surveys regarding sexual minorities continue to accumulate; however, since the target populations and definitions of “sexual minorities” vary from survey to survey, it is not appropriate to estimate figures for the South Korean population by directly applying the results of specific overseas surveys. What is important is that there may be sexual minorities around us who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that we need to naturally accept the possibility that sexual minorities exist among the people we encounter in our daily lives.
How should we view homosexuality and the rights of sexual minorities?
Based on the points discussed above, I believe that homosexuality should not be subject to discrimination, nor should an individual’s sexual orientation be a subject of social controversy in the first place. This applies not only to gay people but also to other sexual minorities, including asexuals and transgender individuals. Although long-standing historical prejudices and certain religious and social perceptions have kept sexual minorities out of the public eye, they have always existed as members of society. Sexual minorities are ordinary people who, just like everyone else, love, form relationships, and live their lives. I believe it is inherently unfair for third parties to unilaterally make the rights of these individuals regarding marriage or love a subject of controversy and to make decisions on their behalf. Although same-sex marriage is not yet legally recognized in South Korea, in 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the decision to deny same-sex partners eligibility as dependents under the National Health Insurance system constituted discrimination. While this does not legally recognize same-sex marriage itself, it is significant in that it marks a case where the court recognized an important right pertaining to same-sex relationships.
Public perception of same-sex marriage in South Korea has also evolved over time, though this change does not solely signify a rise in support. According to a 2025 survey by Gallup Korea, 34% supported the legalization of same-sex marriage while 58% opposed it, and 48% of respondents viewed homosexuality as “a form of love.” Furthermore, in the same survey, regarding the factors influencing homosexuality, 23% of respondents said it was innate, 50% said it was acquired, and 15% said both innate and acquired factors played a role. This shows that social perceptions of homosexuality remain divided among various viewpoints. Therefore, rather than assuming that a society where sexual minorities can live free from discrimination will inevitably be created, we need to continue monitoring how laws, institutions, and social perceptions will evolve. What is clear, however, is that people should not be treated differently in terms of their dignity and basic rights simply because of their sexual orientation.
