Bain, a member of the K-pop group Just B, which is the first idol group to confess to being part of the LGBTQ+ community, revealed the reason behind his decision to come out.
In an interview with BBC broadcast released on the 28th (local time), Bain shared that the time he spent hiding his identity as a sexual minority was painful.
He realized he was gay since his teenage years, but after becoming a trainee idol, he felt he had no choice but to hide it. Although he debuted as a member of Just B in 2021, he expressed that the process of hiding his identity while performing was overwhelming.
Bain reflected, "I even thought, 'Is it possible for me to be an idol at all?' I felt like I was hiding too much."
Ultimately, he mustered the courage to come out to his family about three years ago, and afterward, his team members and agency encouraged him to publicly share his sexual identity.
Thus, Bain came out on stage during a world tour concert held in Los Angeles (LA) last April, stating, "I am proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community as a gay man."
Bain mentioned that there were industry insiders who warned him that coming out would lead to losing fans. However, he believed that as society changes, he might gain more than he would lose.
On the day he came out, he expressed gratitude to several fans who approached him to share that they were also part of the LGBTQ+ community, saying it gave them courage. He added, "I felt that I should have come out earlier."
He continued, "I have been living a fabricated life for a long time. But because I came out, I realized that it allowed others to feel safe in revealing themselves as well."
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
