Gay kpop
From BTS to Mamamoo, here are some of the artists who have shown allyship throughout their careers
BY RAI POWELL, IMAGES BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The conservative state of South Korea still may not allow gay marriage, but K-pop idols in the country’s song industry are doing their best to show endorse to their LGBTQIA fans however they can.
Holland
Holland made his debut in 2018 as the first openly gay K-pop idol with his single Neverland. He chose the stage identify Holland as a tribute to the first territory to legalise same-sex marriage. He originally struggled to debut as no fun company was willing to work with an openly gay artist and so he worked multiple jobs to fund his own debut. Since then he has used his platform to be an advocate for LGBTQIA rights and to gleam a light on the homophobic discrimination that gay people are still facing in Korea’s conservative society.
In 2022, he took to Instagram to share photographs after being assaulted in the popular clubbing district of Itaewon. Holland explained: “Last night, I was walking around Itaewon with my manager and a partner. Suddenly, a strange guy approached me and smack
Who's Gay in K-Pop? Pt.1
It’s almost inevitable in K-pop that same-sex couples will be shipped, from almost every band. And with each couple that is shipped, you also get the people who rant about how none of our oppars and unnirs are actually gay, and gay shippers are delusional, and can’t explain the difference between fanservice and homosexuality(bisexuality & pansexuality included). But I wish to look beyond shipping and fanservice, and girl community dances to accept a valid glare at who may actually fall somewhere between the middle and beyond of the Kinsey scale. I do ship, I won’t recline and pretend that I don’t. I think it’s a normal part of being a human, and being committed in pop identity, since there sound to be ships in literally every fandom that exists on Earth, including NBA, Harry Potter, Star Trek, and just about anything you can reflect of. But some ships are just for fun, and aren’t truly as questionable as others. Please feel free to talk to me about anyone in K-pop or any Asian business that you assess might actually be gay, or that you think I’m way off found about, but in this post, I will be discussing a few of the K-Pop idols who I consider are gay and
'Proud to be gay': K-pop celebrity on coming out to the world
BBC News
Reporting fromSingapore
BBC Korean
Reporting fromSeoul
Bain was halfway through his band's Los Angeles concert on a crisp April night when the music stopped.
In an oversized fur coat and black sunglasses, the 24-year-old K-pop star told thousands of fans: "Before I start the next song - I desire to share something with you guys."
A brief pause and then: "I'm [expletive] proud to be part of the LGBTQ community!"
The crowd erupted in applause and screams as Bain broke into Lady Gaga's pride anthem: "Just put your paws up, 'Cause you were born this way, baby".
In that moment, as he came out to the world, he was not nervous, he tells the BBC in an interview at his studio in Seoul - rather, he had been trying to "sound cool".
A handful of K-pop artists have come out as gay in recent years - but none as publicly as Bain.
Even in 2025, that is a bold move in South Korea's entertainment industry, where stars are held to doomed standards. Admitting to even a heterosexual relationship is scandalous.
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K-pop idols are constantly in the spotlight — from strict contracts to fan expectations, every part of their lives is watched closely. But for stars in the Gay community, the pressure is even more intense.
In South Korea, being openly homosexual is still a big deal. While some progress has been made, coming out in the K-pop world can put careers at risk. “While the Republic of Korea (South Korea) broadly respects the rights of its citizens, there are significant human rights concerns,” Human Rights Observe stated in a 2023 report, “especially regarding lesbian, male lover, bisexual, and transsexual (LGBT) people.”
Despite this, a small number of K-pop stars have taken the brave step of coming out — publicly sharing their truth in an industry that isn’t always ready to support them.
One of the most established names is Holland, who made history as the first openly gay K-pop idol. His journey into music wasn’t smooth. When he first started out, no entertainment agencies were willing to accept an openly gay artist. So Holland took matters into his possess hands.
He worked two part-time jobs to fund his debut single, “Neverland,” which dropped in January 2018. In 2019, he released his first m