K-pop idol BAIN reflects on being first gay idol in active boy group
BAIN of K-pop group JUST B (Instagram/justb_ig_official)
K-pop idol BAIN has opened up about life one year on from coming out, becoming the first openly gay male idol in an active K-pop group.
The JUST B member made history in April 2025 when he came out during the group’s concert in Los Angeles, telling the crowd he was “proud to be part of the LGBTQ community” before performing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”.
A year on, the 24-year-old has reflected on how his life has changed in a new interview with Pop Base.
“Last year, I walked onto the stage carrying a secret, heavier than I ever wanted anyone to know,” he said.
“This year, I walked onto the stage carrying only myself. When you spend so much of your life editing your own existence to make other people comfortable, you start to forget what your real voice sounds like. But on this tour I heard it clearly for the first time. Not the careful version. Just me.”
BAIN also addressed the growing number of queer artists speaking openly in the industry.
He recalled being approached by a Korean broadcaster for an interview after coming out, which he said was filmed but, as far as he knows, never aired.
“Sometimes society celebrates queer courage in theory, but becomes quieter when that courage asks for real space,” he said. “But I don’t say that with resentment, rather with hope, because recognising the silence is often the first step toward changing it.”
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