Raising Queer Workers' Rights in South Korea

One of the key activities that Haengseongin (the organization) is carrying out this year with this project is providing a training session to raise awareness about creating an LGBTQ-inclusive workplace. The target of this training is ordinary workers who may become workplace allies of LGBTQ+ workers, and the goal of the activity is to share the workplace experiences of Korean LGBTQ+ workers and to promote ways to foster inclusive organizational cultures by engaging with civil society organizations, labor unions, and corporates.

As part of this project, training sessions are being held consistently 1-2 times per month throughout the year, based on the content of the Guidebook for LGBTQ+ Inclusive Workplaces, which was published last year. The training sessions last about two hours and cover various topics, from basic LGBTQ terminology to etiquette for building equal relationships with LGBTQ+ colleagues. In the sessions conducted through civil society organizations or labor unions, key activities of LGBTQ+ activism are introduced, and suggestions on how to stand in solidarity with these activities are also proposed.

So far, most of the organizations proposing the training sessions have been labor-related groups and labor unions with whom the organization already had connections. Moving forward, we plan to strengthen the promotion of the training sessions so they can be held in more diverse settings. We ask for your continued interest and support in our efforts to change hearts and minds of Korean citizens and to create inclusive workplaces!