K-pop star came out of the world on stage

But the concert of his band Los Angeles was halfway, when the music stopped.

Leather coat and black sunglasses, 24-year-old K-pop stars told me thousands of fans: “Before you start the next song – I want to share something with you.”

After a short step: “I’m proud of being part of the LGBTQ community!”

People exploded in the applause and Bain was joined by Lady Gaga’s Pride Anthem: “Put your paws, that’s how you were born, baby.”

At that moment, he did not come out into the world, nervously, BBC told BBC in a dialogue made in Seoul, but he tried to “cool”.

Some K-Pop artists have come out as gays in recent years, but not as publicly as lazy.

In 2025, there is a bold movement of the South Korean entertainment industry, where the stars are made to the impossible standards. The acceptance of heterosexual relationship is also scandalous.

“They knew some people in the industry (I was getting out) and warned me against it, saying it would be danger:” But he says. “And of course I thought of the danger – we can lose fans.

“But then I thought that the society is changing … I would win more than what I lost.”

That’s the main question: Does it open the door to change in an industry that has become global, but is rooted in a conservative in South Korea?

But his real name is byeonghee, says he was at school in secondary school, when he realized it was 12 years old.

Soon afterwards, he decided to become a K-pop training, but he kept his secret sexuality – he felt “that he didn’t allow it”.

“It wasn’t something I asked … I thought I didn’t have the opportunity,” he said. “No one else was (around me around me). I thought I thought I could go and go.”

It is a rich in South Korea, still traditional. Powerful but conservative churches often see homosexuality as a disability or sin. And the same sex marriage is not legally recognized.

In 2021, Ba, as a boy of six members who made his debut, have been released several albums and participated in the shows of reality, winning a dedicated audience.

But all this, the years to hide himself took a cow.

“I was so serious, maybe I can’t be an idol. I felt that I was hiding a lot. I decided to talk with mother.”

That’s about three years ago. He was the first person in his mother family: “We talked for an hour, and I finally said,” Men like more than women. “Then he knew.”

His reaction was difficult for him. “Honestly, he didn’t like it. He thought I had overcome that bad reaction to others. But you love you, I was confused. I was sad.

Then his teammates and the company began to encourage the jump – and tell him the world.

This year, the team started touring the world, and at the last US tour station, BAT decided to get out of the stage.

Since then, the group has become focus – giving a lot of conversations with Bain, when the new face of the LGBTQ community became quickly.

“I think I’ve changed a lot. I feel more confident. When I meet someone new, I show who I am,” he said. “But I feel sad that my identity is so great now.”

Over time, people will say “Oh, it’s gay, but rather, that’s what it is.”

Hong Sok-Cheon South Korean actor 2000. When the LGBTQ representation was actually entered the main country.

He was the first Korean famous celebrity open with his sexuality, and reached at a cost. He fell from TV shows and ads.

Attitude has changed since then. A 2019 PEW survey showed that the number of people accepted homosexuality rose to 44% in 2002.

And yet, only other celebrities come out. In 2018, the Netherlands became the first gay K-pop artist and, in 2020, Jiae, a former member of the Wassup Girl Group, went out as a bisexual. They both said it is difficult to sign a registration label as a result.

Bain’s announcement, however, has held fans and the South Korean LGBTQ community.

“When someone like an idol comes out, it makes sense that we don’t make sense like me,” a Korean transgender woman of 26 years, who doesn’t want to name.

“It makes comfort … thinking, maybe I’m fine.”

Also online, most of the comments have been positive. A gay comment in YouTube was encouraged by Bain after feeling “so much despondess” after feeling “hateful comments” and felt discrimination.

“But thanks to the cows, I found courage to move forward.”

International fans have particularly encouraged: “After the initial shock, I started crying,” Liah said Lesbian identifies the US K-pop fan.

“Korea knows that LGBTQ has a repression against people, he brought out the courage and courage … (it was) admirable.”

The South Korean cultural footprint is growing worldwide, which fans have brought everywhere, with their point of view and beliefs. The K-Pop industry may resign.

But that will take time. And that’s the opinion of the customs in the district of comments – the apathy condemnation.

On the one hand, the country has risen to the right, often anti-feminist beliefs in young men, it seems that they do not oppose the challenges of traditional gender roles.

And these roles continue firm in South Korea. The Government and Church are the conventional values ​​of the family to marry young men, and have children to encourage birth rates today that can be the lowest in the world.

Considering all this, it may not be surprising that homosexuality is a taboo, also in a global industry like K-pop.

The direct couple is the world that do not speak their private lives, says Lim Hee-yun critics.

“K-pop has spent almost 25 years by avoiding the subject of sexuality (completely) Heterosexual relations also hides to protect fans fantasies.”

BAT, he added, “this silence challenges in a symbolic and powerful way. I think it marks an important moment.”

However, it believes that fans can react very differently – “it could be explosive” – ​​if a member of a global boyband came out as a gay.

“But the case has been significant, but his team is not famous (so), he didn’t affect as much home,” Mr. Lim says.

But he certainly helped to take awareness, agree. “It’s a slow process, but we’re talking about more public figures talking or creating lgbtq problems around these problems.”

But it is unlikely to change the immediate change in the K-Pop or entertainment industry, according to it.

“It’s not only a social issue – it’s a market issue. If you find a much greater male fanbase … (and) your favorite male idol, that one day it can be an excitement that could be the object of his love one day,” he said.

“So if they do (come out), the fandomas are built by shaking the base.”

But, however, he would say that his decision would be worth “a person of a K-Pop person is a force or interested”.

“I’ve spent a long look … I realized that I came out, that others felt safe.”

On the day he arrived, he remembers several doubts, saying they were gays or lesbians, speaking of their personality.

“They thanked me and” I thought I should do it before. “