While fellow K-pop band BTS is finally moving closer to a reunion, another South Korean boy band is making waves globally. “I want to be able to talk about real matters,” Just B member Bain told The Hollywood Reporter. The singer made the life-changing decision to come out as gay during their April 22 show at the Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images“I don’t know if I should say this. I just don’t like to pursue anything boring,” he admitted. “Maybe I just like to pursue dopamine. … I just like doing iconic things.”
It doesn’t get much more iconic than coming out to the world. Especially when you live in a country that is still slowly recognizing the LGBTQ community. South Korea’s supreme court ruled in 2024 that the dependents of same-sex couples are eligible for the country’s health insurance. But the country has been slow to accept entertainers who are part of the LGBTQ community. Bain joins a small group that includes Holland, Hong Seok-cheon, and Lara.
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“Finally, I can talk about this,” Bain said. “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 said. So why did he? “I feel like I’d lose my chance if I didn’t take it now, so it almost felt like a sign from above,” he admitted. “I just took the chance when I had it.”
“I’m [expletive] proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ [community] — as a gay person,” he remembered telling the cheering crowd. He also thanked Lady Gaga for demonstrating 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 continued. “You are seen, you are loved and you were “Born This Way.”
Just B Star Feels Like This is a Chance to Broaden His Horizons
Bain’s decision didn’t come lightly. While the rest of the Just B members already knew he was gay, he had to discuss what coming out might mean with the band’s label, Bluedot Entertainment. “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.”
The singer feels like his life is just beginning, now that he can be himself publicly. “I feel like this new start is also opening my mind, it’s broadening my horizons, if you will,” he said. He could also see himself doing things besides music.
“I would love to play the part of a gay friend in a teen drama,” he said. “I am even considering some solo work where I can honestly tell my stories.”
