Last week, JUST B (저스트비) member Bain (배인) bravely came out as a gay man on stage during his group’s “[JUST ODD]” tour in Los Angeles. The K-pop idol received overwhelming support from fans, his fellow members, and other queer Korean stars who praised him for his courage to live as his authentic self.
Since that powerful moment, however, many have been curious about what inspired him to come out. How long have the other JUST B members known, and how did the discussion unfold with his bandmates and company? The singer finally answered those questions in a recent interview.
In an interview with DAZED that was published yesterday (Monday, 28th April), Bain opened up about his struggles of hiding his sexuality from everyone and how fears he had about JUST B’s career if he were to choose to come out. He came out to his members and company about 2 years ago, with Geonu (건우) being the first member to know his secret.
“Later, there was a moment when all the members were together talking, and Jimin (임지민) – a friend of mine for 9 years – suddenly asked me, ‘Bain, are you gay?’ He added that if I were, he hoped I wouldn’t feel the need to hide it and could speak freely and comfortably with them,” said the singer. The 23-year-old reportedly had no intention of coming out that day, but his friend’s words gave him the encouragement to finally do so. Thankfully, his members responded with calmness and warmth. The now openly gay artist later came out to his CEO, who was also incredibly supportive.
As for what led him to finally come out to fans, Bain said that performing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”, a song very personal to him, throughout the tour inspired him to be his authentic self with the world. “[The ‘JUST ODD’] album reflected our honest and bold sides, a message we carried over into the tour. As the tour went on, I received so much love from fans, and that encouragement gave me the strength to share more of my true self,” said the vocalist.
Bain also revealed that he had been worried about JUST B suffering backlash if he were to come out. Fortunately, he had discussed his concerns with his fellow members and the company before coming out during the LA concert, and they all supported his decision. He clarified that his coming out was not intended to have an impact on the K-pop industry, which still lacks LGBTQ+ representation.
However, he said he would feel fulfilled if his story inspired his peers to be their true selves with fans. We’re glad to hear that all worked out in the end, and we’re sure fans are looking forward to discovering more of this side of Bain now that he’s growing more comfortable living his truth.
Source: DAZED
