Bain, a 23-year-old member of the K-pop boy band Just B, came out as gay onstage during a Los Angeles concert this week.
He was performing solo when he made the announcement, during the final stop of Just B’s Just Odd World Tour at the Vermont Hollywood Hall.
‘Tonight, I’m gonna share something with you guys,’ he said, as seen in footage that circulated on Instagram in the hours after the show.
‘I’m f***ing proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+, as a gay person. And shout out to my queen Lady Gaga, showing me that being different is beautiful.’
Bain, whose real name is Song Byeong-hee, added a message for ‘anyone out there who is part of the LGBTQ+, or still figuring it out, this is for you guys, and also this is for everyone: You’re seen, you’re loved and you are born this way.’
He then regaled the crowd with a rendition of Lady Gaga’s 2012 single Born This Way, which became an instant gay anthem upon its release amid the public debate over same-sex marriage in the United States.
Bain, a 23-year-old member of the K-pop boy band Just B, came out as gay onstage during a Los Angeles concert this week; pictured in 2021, the year the group was first formed
Bain’s announcement elicited rapturous cheers and applause from the audience, as well as a warm reaction from within his boy band.
Siwoo, one of the six members of Just B, told the South Korean outlet News1 that he was in tears during Bain’s performance. ‘I know how hard it was for him, and that made me want to cry more,’ he added.
Just B was formed by Bluedot Entertainment in 2021, and in a few short years has released five EPs and 11 singles, three of them non-album.
Homosexuality is legal in South Korea, but gay sex is outlawed between military men and the country does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions.
There remains a social taboo around homosexuality amongst older generations in the country, although public attitudes have softened over time.
A study by the Pew Research Center found that the proportion of South Koreans who believe society should accept homosexuality reached 44 percent in 2019, a significant increase from 25 percent in 2002.
Within the K-pop industry, the artists’ love lives are generally kept private regardless of sexual orientation, to the point that in years past there have been reports of ‘no dating’ clauses being included in talent contracts.
However K-pop stars have come out of the closet in more recent times, including Katseye member Lara Raj only last month.
‘Tonight, I’m gonna share something with you guys,’ he said, as seen in footage that circulated on Instagram in the hours after the show
Just B, which is comprised of six members and has released five EPs, are pictured at the 2023 Mama Awards at the Tokyo Dome in November of that year
‘I knew I was half a fruitcake when I was like eight, so I really was wanting everybody,’ said Raj, an Indian American. ‘Honestly probably before eight. Isn’t half a fruitcake such a good way to explain it without saying it?’
K-pop songstress Jiae declared she was bisexual and dating a woman in 2020, the year after the breakup of the girl group WA$$UP in which she initially became a star.
The man credited as ‘the first openly gay K-pop idol’ is the singer Holland, who adopted his stage name in honor of the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.
Holland shot to fame in 2018 with the release of his self-funded debut single Neverland, along with its instantly viral music video that showed him kissing a man.
In 2022 he tweeted photos of himself with a cut on his face, saying he had been attacked because of his sexual orientation during a night out in Seoul.
Bain’s announcement elicited rapturous cheers and applause from the audience, as well as a warm reaction from within his boy band; Bain pictured 2021
‘Last night, I was walking around Itaewon with my manager and a friend,’ he wrote. ‘Suddenly, a stranger man approached me and hit me on the face twice, calling me “a dirty gay”. Now I have a scar on my face and I’m going to the hospital soon.’
When Lara Raj came out of the closet this March, an official from a major K-pop powerhouse gave a nuanced view of the context to the Korea Herald.
‘Public perception on sexual minorities in Korea has improved a lot, as you can see many TV shows starring them these days,’ the official remarked.
‘But looking at it from the perspective of the overall culture, it’s still a big change. Reactions will likely differ by country. I’m worried because there could be backlash. I don’t know what kind of reaction will come, from where, or how.’