https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14849200
"SEOUL--For So Sung-uk and Kim Yong-min, who last week won a landmark Seoul
court ruling on national health coverage for gay couples, the tide may finally
be turning in their years-long struggle for equal recognition in South Korea
for LGBT partnerships.
The 32-year-old activists, together since they first met during their national
service a decade ago, have regularly posted about their relationship on social
media and in public forums, including a wedding ceremony in 2019 that drew some
300 attendees.
“The more visible we are and the more we talk about our story, I think the more
we can change people’s opinions and help other LGBTQ people like us gather up
courage,” Kim said in an interview in the three-room Seoul apartment he shares
with So.
“I believe if more LGBTQ people show who they are, change will come faster.”
The two also managed to secure national health insurance coverage for So, who
works with a youth HIV support group, as a dependent based on his partnership
with Kim, an employee for an organization that advocates for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and queer rights.
But when local media drew attention to the pair’s story and the National Health
Insurance Service’s official acknowledgement that they were a couple, the
authorities backtracked and revoked So’s coverage, saying the approval had been
an administrative error.
Thus began a two-year legal struggle as So sued the health service, initially
losing in a local administrative court but prevailing when the Seoul High Court
last week reversed course and affirmed his right to coverage.
“I see this ruling not just as a one-off win but a sign that we are starting to
win - that love has won and it will again,” So said."
Via
Fix the News:
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Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
