Bain, a 23-year-old member of the K-pop group Just B, publicly came out as gay during a concert in Los Angeles this week. Bain was performing solo when he made the shocking 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 is seen saying in a video clip that soon went viral on Instagram. "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," the singer added as the entire crowd listen to him.
Bold Announcement
Bain, whose birth name is Song Byeong-hee, shared a heartfelt message, saying, " 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 performed Lady Gaga's 2012 hit "Born This Way", a song that quickly became a celebrated anthem for the LGBTQ+ community during the national conversation about same-sex marriage in the United States.
Bain's revelation was met with cheers and applause from the crowd, along with heartfelt support from his fellow band members. Siwoo, one of the six members of Just B, shared with South Korean outlet News1 that he was brought to tears during Bain's performance. "I know how hard it was for him, and that made me want to cry more," he said.
Just B was formed by Bluedot Entertainment in 2021. In just four years it has released five EPs and 11 singles, including three stand-alone tracks.
While homosexuality is legal in South Korea, same-sex relations between military personnel is banned, and the government does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil partnerships. Although societal attitudes toward homosexuality have gradually improved, it remains a social taboo among the older generations.
According to a Pew Research Center study, 44 percent of South Koreans believed society should accept homosexuality in 2019, up from just 25 percent in 2002.
Coming Out in the Open
In the K-pop industry, personal relationships of artists are typically kept private, regardless of their sexuality. In the past, it was even reported that some talent contracts included "no dating" clauses.
However, more K-pop idols have been coming out in recent years, such as Lara Raj of Katseye, who publicly came out just last month. "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?"
In 2020, K-pop singer Jiae announced she was bisexual and in a relationship with a woman, a year after her former girl group WA$$UP disbanded, where she first shot to fame.
The artist often labeled "the first openly gay K-pop idol" is Holland, who chose his stage name as a tribute to the Netherlands — the first country to legalize same-sex marriage.
Holland shot to fame in 2018 with the release of his self-funded debut single, "Neverland", which featured a music video that soon went viral for showing him sharing a kiss with another man.
