JUST B’s Bain Becomes First K-Pop Male Idol to Reveal His Sexual Orientation, Saying “Society Is Changing”

Bain, a member of JUST B, became the first male idol in K-pop to publicly disclose his sexual orientation. He came out on stage during a world tour concert in Los Angeles in April, stating, “I am proud to be part of the LGBTQ community as a gay man,” a decision that brought about a historic shift in the K-pop industry. Bain’s coming out was not impulsive. He revealed that he first realized he was homosexual around seventh grade, but after becoming a trainee, he had no choice but to hide it. After debuting in 2021 as part of the six-member boy group JUST B and steadily releasing albums to build a growing fanbase, he felt overwhelmed by guilt for deceiving everyone two years into his career. He shared his feelings at the time, saying, “I even thought maybe I couldn’t be an idol at all,” and added, “I felt like I was hiding too many things.” A turning point came three years ago when he came out to his family. After that, his team members, his agency Blue Dot Entertainment, and his U.S. tour partner The K-STAGE encouraged him to reveal his sexual identity. Although some in the industry warned that coming out would cause him to lose fans, Bain said, “Society is changing, and I thought there might be more gains than losses.” The reaction on the day of his coming out exceeded his expectations. Hundreds of fans at the concert cheered for him, and his bandmates—Jimin, Geonu, SIU, and Sangwoo—as well as his agency and tour partner, offered strong support. Even more surprisingly, he received congratulations from other LGBTQ+ artists in the K-pop entertainment industry within 24 hours. Lioness, the first LGBTQ+ boy band in K-pop, and solo singer Alexa sent their regards, and Han Seok-cheon, who faced industry sanctions for coming out in 2000, was also among the first to congratulate Bain. After his coming out, Bain’s attitude was clear. He said, “I think I should have done this earlier,” and mentioned that some fans approached him afterward, confessing they were also LGBTQ+ and inspired by his courage. Through this experience, Bain realized the value of his actions. He stated, “I lived a long time pretending, but now that I came out, I understand that others can feel safe enough to reveal themselves too.” Bain’s coming out is an extremely rare event in the K-pop industry, where even revealing sexual identity often sparks significant controversy. JUST B is reflecting on their four-year journey as they mark their group’s anniversary on June 30, and Bain believes that if his coming out gives just one person in K-pop the courage to be themselves, it was worth it.