“Finally, I can talk about this,” says Korean pop star Bain.
The blue-haired 24-year-old, speaking with The Hollywood Reporter on a Zoom from Seoul, is exhaling at last. A member of boy group Just B — a six-person boy group that has found respectable success in Korea and globally — Bain made K-pop history at the group’s recent Los Angeles show by becoming the first active boy group member to declare he’s gay.
It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. “I had a solo performance during this U.S. tour [to] Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way,’ and in a way, I didn’t actually mean to come out,” he says, adding that while he was performing the song, he felt compelled to make the revelation then and there. “I feel like I’d lose my chance if I didn’t take it now, so it almost felt like a sign from above. I just took the chance when I had it.”
During that L.A. show, before jumping into his cover, Bain told the crowd at the Vermont in Hollywood that he had something to share. “I’m fucking proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ [community] — as a gay person,” the singer, dressed in a long fur coat and sunglasses, told the crowd. He was met with immediate cheers, then thanked Gaga for showing him that “being different is beautiful.”
“To anyone out there who’s part of the LGBTQ+ [community] or still figuring it out; this is for you guys,” he added. “You are seen, you are loved and you were ‘Born This Way.’”
Bain’s decision is unprecedented in the world of K-pop, as groundbreaking in that sector as Ellen DeGeneres’ coming out was in mainstream ’90s TV. While LGBTQIA rights in South Korea are slowly showing signs of progress — the country’s supreme court issued a landmark ruling in 2024 that same-sex partners qualify as dependents for national health insurance coverage — it’s still rare for entertainers to publicly identify as gay. Bain joins a small group of open gay entertainers in the country.
The singer says he had spoken about his decision with his label, Bluedot Entertainment, and his fellow group members, to whom he’d come out privately two years earlier: “There were certain concerns of public acceptance and how the public might react to this, but I believe overall they really wanted me to fully show and express myself onstage.”
Hot-button topics are not often discussed in K-pop circles, but Bain says this was one issue he was uncomfortable keeping quiet about. “I want to be able to talk about real matters,” the singer says. “I don’t know if I should say this. I just don’t like to pursue anything boring. Maybe I just like to pursue dopamine. … I just like doing iconic things.”
Bain’s decision has distinctly created a before and after point in his life. He agrees that referring to coming out as a journey implies that it’s an end point, despite it not being the case for him or others. “It’s actually a new start for me,” he says.
“I feel like this new start is also opening my mind, it’s broadening my horizons, if you will,” the 24-year-old says, explaining that coming out as gay has allowed him to “dream bigger.” He notes that he’s thought about potentially wanting act in the U.S.
“I would love to play the part of a gay friend in a teen drama,” he says. “I am even considering some solo work where I can honestly tell my stories.”
Overall, Bain says he now feels free and hopes other queer K-pop artists might be emboldened by his choice. Yet he admits it was hard at first to see so many strangers weighing in on his personal life. “The first few weeks, it was a bit difficult. I saw a good amount of negative comments. I [also] saw some great supportive comments,” Bain explains.
“I wouldn’t say [I’m] blocking [the comments] out, I’m enjoying it,” he continues. “If you want to talk about me, please talk away. Good or bad. I welcome it.”
This story appeared in the June 11 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
