Welcome to the Korean Gay Men’s Human Rights Group Chingusai (“Between Friends”), which was founded in February 1994. As a successor of Chodong-hoe, the first homosexual activist group ever to be organized in the country (1993), it is one of the oldest sexual minority rights organizations throughout the nation.

Chingusai was established to correct society’s prejudice against and distorted view of homosexuality, to protect and promote awareness of gay people’s human rights, to develop and disseminate a healthy gay culture that will help gay people to live with pride, and to promote AIDS prevention and protect HIV positive people’s human rights. To accomplish these goals, the group has continuously endeavored since its foundation to ensure the human rights of gay people and to create a society without discrimination against sexual minorities. In the course of organizing such activities and events, Chingusai has served as a welcoming safe haven for lonely, tormented gay people and as an arena of fierce struggle for the eradication of the oppression of and discrimination against gay people.

Chingusai is a public and popular organization open to everyone who supports the group’s goals. Consequently, many gay people actively participate in the group’s activities and events through diverse channels. Currently, Chingusai has some one hundred offline members, which include full members and supporting members. Internet members, who join the group through its homepage, amount to some 5,000. In addition, numerous sexual minorities encounter

Chingusai through everyday counseling as well as diverse activities and events. As a human rights organization, the group also serves as a community center that takes into full consideration the situation in which sexual minorities find themselves in Korea and through which gay people can view themselves positively and lead more active lives.

Chingusai is engaged in diverse activities for the human rights and liberation of sexual minorities. These include the promotion and publicity of sexual minority-related issues through the media and the Internet, cultural activities for the promotion of a diverse and productive gay culture, education within and without the gay community, academic activities including the development of human rights theory and the accumulation of data, counseling provided to sexual minorities and those around them including their families, direct action for the liberation of sexual minorities, and collaboration with other civil rights and sexual minority activist groups on various human rights and social issues.

More specifically, Chingusai has initiated and is involved in a variety of activities including the movement for the right to form non-traditional families including gay families, movement for the abolition of discrimination against gay men in the military, Sexual Minorities’ Participation in Politics Project, activities for the human rights of HIV positive people and AIDS patients, coming out project for gay people’s positive self-awareness and the transformation of the world, diverse queer cultural programs, public events for the development of the gay community, counseling of and research on sexual minority families, and programs for the improvement of school teachers’ understanding of gay teenagers.

Chingusai is actively, proudly, and happily progressing toward the liberation of sexual minorities. We welcome everyone’s interest, support, and participation for the continued development of Chingusai.

Membership

Full Member: Any adult gay male who supports the human rights of homosexuals in Korea is eligible for membership. Full members have an obligation to participate in Chingusai's monthly meetings (held in the last week each month) and to pay the membership fee (10,000 won). They can actively prepare all events sponsored or organized by Chingusai.

Supporting Member: As members who provide financial support, they can observe Chingusai's monthly meetings and participate in all its events.

Internet Member: You can apply for membership on the Chingusai homepage. There is no separate membership fee. All Internet members can freely read and write on the BBS on the homepage(only Korean language).

Support

Chingusai is managed with membership fees, volunteer service, and financial support.
We welcome your continued support and interest.
Bank Account Number: Nonghyup (NACF) 029-12-156312
Bank Account Holder: Chingusai (Jeonghan Sin)

 
Contact us

Chingusai - Korean Gay Men's Human Rights Group
3F Myodong Building, 39-1, Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea, 03139 
Phone: 82-2-745-7942, Fax: 82-2-744-7916
Homepage: http://chingusai.net 
E-mail: contact@chingusai.net