SEOUL, An annual LGBTQ festival will take place in downtown Seoul, but not at its usual spot of Seoul Plaza, organizers said Tuesday, after their requests to use the venue were rejected for the second straight year. A queer parade, slated for June 1, will be held near the Euljiro 1-ga area and Jonggak Station in downtown Seoul as part of the 25th Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF), the organizing committee said at a press conference. The committee is in discussion with police to decide the details of the parade route. It marks the second consecutive year the annual queer festival has not been held in the Seoul Plaza. Last year, the city government gave permission to a Christian group to hold a youth concert there, and the venue has been reserved for the Seoul Metropolitan Library to hold outdoor reading events on the day of the LGBTQ festival this year. The organizing committee accused Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of denying its requests to use other venues for forums and lectures related to LGBTQ, adding it filed a complaint with the state human rights watchdog last month on the city's decision. "(The Seoul city government) cited triggering of social conflict and acute discord as reasons for objecting to the request to rent the venue," the head of the organizing committee said. "The city is no different from the hateful force that exerts lopsided violence to the vulnerable if they don't fulfill their duty to stop them," she added. Meanwhile, this year's queer festival is scheduled from May 27 to June 18 under the slogan "Yes Queer!". Source: Yonhap News Agency