JUST B’s Bain comes out as gay during U.S. tour

Bain, a member of the six-member K-pop boy group JUST B, publicly came out as gay during a performance in the United States, making a rare and bold statement in the K-pop industry.

According to the music industry on April 24, Bain made the announcement during a stop on the group’s world tour in Los Angeles on April 22 (local time). “I am gay, and I’m proud to be part of the LGBTQ community,” he declared, before performing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” while waving a rainbow pride flag.

The 2011 hit “Born This Way” is known as an anthem of self-acceptance and equality, celebrating individual freedom and LGBTQ pride—an especially fitting choice for the moment.

During his performance, Bain also shouted, “My queen, Lady Gaga, showed us that being different is beautiful,” drawing cheers and applause from the audience.

Such public coming-out moments remain extremely rare among active K-pop idols. The only other recent example occurred last month, when Lara of HYBE’s U.S.-based girl group Katseye revealed via a fan platform that she identifies as bisexual.

JUST B debuted in 2021 and includes members such as Geonu and Siwoo, who previously appeared on Mnet’s I-LAND, and Lim Jimin (formerly Jeon Do-yeom) of the project group 1THE9.

ⓒ "젊은 파워, 모바일 넘버원 아시아투데이"