Actress Youn Yuh-jung has attracted attention by coming out about her eldest son's same-sex marriage, while group JUSTB's Bain also declared coming out during a performance.
While performing at the JUSTB world tour "JST ODD" in Los Angeles, Bain stated on the 22nd (local time), "I am proud to be part of the LGBT community." "LGBT" is an abbreviation used to refer to sexual minorities within and outside the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
In this regard, her agency noted, "It's difficult to present a particular position regarding one's personal life and sexual identity."
Bain's coming out is the first for a South Korean male idol, and the third among idol group members. Prior to Bain, Jiae from Wassup confessed as the first idol to identify as bisexual. In 2021, Jiae announced, "I love both men and women. I have a lovely girlfriend, and I am very happy."
Later, he appeared on a variety show and shared, "When I was 25, I dated men several times, but it never lasted more than three months, and I often wondered if this was really love or not. When I thought, 'Maybe I can't love anyone?' I thought, 'Isn't it necessary to date a man? Let's try dating a woman,' and that's when I dated a woman." Notably, he revealed that he received recognition from his family, drawing attention.
Recently, HYBE's Cat's Eye Lara also came out as a homosexual. Lara stated through the fan communication platform Weverse that she realized she was a "half fruitcake" since she was 8 years old. Mentioning her participation in the audition project "The Debut: Dream Academy," Lara expressed her fears during the survival show, saying, "I thought people might not accept me, and I was really scared that I could ruin my chance," but she thanked fans for their love and support, which gave her confidence in her identity.
Later, Lara also explained during a live stream, "Coming out can be scary. I also have the barrier of being a person of color, which made me a bit scared. However, I am very grateful that the people around me and my fans support me, and I am proud of myself," adding, "My sexual identity is part of me. I am not ashamed of it at all, and I feel great about it."
Meanwhile, there are many more coming-out stars in the entertainment industry. Hong Seok-cheon became the first celebrity in South Korea to come out in 2000. Afterward, Som Hae-in, who gained recognition by appearing on Mnet's "Idol School," confessed her bisexuality, and singer Park Woo-sik made headlines by coming out in 2010 while participating in Mnet's "Superstar K2."
Additionally, trot singer Kwon Do-woon has also come out as homosexual, and singer Aquinas (Kang Min-soo) confessed in 2021, "I am bisexual."
[Photo] OSEN DB, SNS
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