Forging Intersectional Solidarity: Legal Mobilization and Anti-Discrimination Movement in South Korea

This study investigates the emergence of intersectional solidarity during the legislative movement of South Korea's comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Law, challenging prevailing understandings of legal frameworks and identity-based organizing. While legal codification typically reinforces rigid identity categories, the South Korean context presents a unique case where reactive mobilization against discriminatory legislation has fostered intersectional discourse and coalition. Through document analysis and in-depth interviews with feminist and LGBTQ activists, we trace the formation and achievements of intersectional coalitions. Our findings reveal that reactive mobilization, transcending mere legislative efforts, has catalyzed a broader transformation: It is driven by reflections on previous single-issue advocacy and resistance to government legislation excluding contentious grounds like 'sexual orientation'. Also, this movement arose in response to local anti-LGBTQ discourses, which emerged within a complex interplay of domestic political dynamics and reinterpreted global anti-gender rhetoric. It has stimulated intersectional awareness, prompted movements to become more inclusive, and propagated intersectional anti-discrimination ideology across diverse groups, despite hostile political conditions. This study examines coalition-building dynamics in legislative advocacy, offering insights into legal mobilization's role in advancing intersectionality. It contributes to debates on how marginalized groups navigate legal advocacy while maintaining intersectional justice, with implications for transnational gender politics.