Yook Woo-Dang was a gay South Korean poet, activist, and Roman Catholic who hanged himself for protesting discrimination against LGBTQ people by church and society. He died in 2003 at age 18. “If they send me to hell, Jesus will rescue me,” he wrote in his suicide note. “How cruel…it is to discriminate against sexual minorities,” he wrote. He became a national symbol of teenage sexual minorities, leading to some legal reforms for LGBTQ rights. Some compare Woo-Dang to Jesus. His sacrifice and legacy continue to inspire South Korean LGBTQ activists. Sadly, Woo-Dang’s experience isn’t unique. In the United States, gay student Tyler Clementi brought international attention to bullying-related suicide of LGBTQ youth by jumping to his death in 2010. Yook Woo-Dang was a nom de plume for Yun Hyon-seok. Yun Hyon’s poetry and social commentary were considered risqué because of homosexual content, and so he used the pseudonym Yook Woo-Dang. Woo-Dang was bullied throughout his school years and didn’t finish high school. His parents threw him out of their home when he came out to them. He tried to ease his loneliness with writing that explored gay love, church hypocrisy, and homophobic politics. The name Yook Woo-Dang means “a person who has only six friends.” He said his six friends were alcohol, cigarettes, sleeping pills, make-up, green tea, and his rosary. His personal prayer was, “Let there come a world where homosexuals are not despised.” You can learn more about Yook Woo-Dang at qspirit.net. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or despair, or have recently considered self-harm, there are helplines for you:
The LGBT National Youth Talkline – young people talking to young people 25 and under. 800-246-7743
The Trevor Project – 866-488-7386
LGBT National Hotline – 888-843-4564
Trans Lifeline for transgender and non-binary folk – 877-565-8860
And if you’d like the ministers, deacons, and prayer chaplains of Sunshine Cathedral to pray for you, simply send an email to prayer@sunshinecathedral.org
