Korean celebrity gay

I was sad, but in the end grateful she said she loves me."

Then his team members and company began encouraging him to take the leap - and tell the world.

Earlier this year the band began a world tour, and on the last stop of their US tour, Bain decided to come out on stage.

Since then, the band has been thrust into the spotlight - with Bain giving countless interviews as he quickly became the new face of the Korean LGBTQ community.

"I feel like I've changed a lot since coming out.

The government and the church champion conventional family values, encouraging young people to marry and have children so they can boost birth rates, currently the lowest in the world. She is also a close friend of Jeremy Scott a gay fashion designer who is the creative director of Moschino.

Tiffany Young From Girls’ Generation

After making her official debut in America in 2018 after her decade exclusively promoting in Korea and Japan, Tiffany wrote a letter for Billboard expressing her love for her queer fans.

Jonghyun Fron Shinee

Before his unfortunate passing in 2017 Jonghyun was known for his frequent support of the LGBT+ community using platforms like Twitter to show his support.

Yeri From Red Velvet

Member of Red Velvet Yeri has shown repeated support for the gay community repeatedly dancing with pride flags in concerts and a close friend of Holland supporting him after a hate crime attack.

Huh Yunjin From Le Sserafim

One of the most recent debuts in this list.

Dohoon & Shinyu (TWS), Husky (Produce Pandas)

  The newcomers Dohoon & Shinyu (TWS) and Husky (Produce Pandas) share the ninth spot.

10. "And of course I thought about the risk - that we might lose fans.

"But then I thought, society is changing… I might gain more than I might lose."

That's the big question: has he thrown open the door to change in an industry that has become global but remains deeply rooted in a conservative South Korea?

Bain, whose real name is Song Byeonghee, says he was in secondary school, about 12 years old, when he realised he was gay.

Shortly afterwards, he decided to become a K-pop trainee but he kept his sexuality a secret - he felt like being gay was "not allowed".

"It wasn't something I questioned… I just thought I had no choice," he says.

Even heterosexual relationships are hidden to protect fan fantasies."

Bain, he adds, has "challenged that silence in a symbolic and powerful way. "There was no-one else [around me that was gay].

And yet, only a handful of other celebrities have come out.

I felt I'd been hiding so much.

A handful of K-pop artists have come out as gay in recent years - but none as publicly as Bain.

This is a world where even straight couples don't talk about their private lives, says critic Lim Hee-yun.

"K-pop has spent nearly 25 years avoiding the topic of sexuality [altogether].

She has not released any music since 2007 publicly, but they are well known for the platform they gave trans representation in Korea.

Maman

She debuted in 2007 and came out a short while after but her company tried to spin this as a prank, but she ended up getting kicked out of her company.

She managed to find another company but has unfortunately been inactive since 2015.

Korean Celebrities Who Openly Support LGBT+ Rights

These celebrities do not openly identify as LGBT+ however, they have all repeatedly given examples of their support for LGBT+ causes.

Luckily there were more choices for these celebrities, and we were able to choose some of the best of the best, however, there are many more examples to choose from which is nice to see!

Jo Kwon From 2AM

Jo Kwon debuted in 2AM but has been more of a soloist in recent years and has prided himself on his androgynous presentation as well as his choice to star in queer musicals like Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.

CL From 2NE1

CL has always openly supported the queer community and her fans who are gay.

**Mingyu (SEVENTEEN)

  Mingyu is becoming a “national husband,” loved by everyone regardless of gender and sexual orientation.

8.

For one, the country has seen a rise in right-wing, often avowed anti-feminist beliefs in young men, who seem to oppose any challenge to traditional gender roles.

And those roles remain strong in South Korea.

I feel more confident.

But he believes fans may have reacted very differently - "it might have been explosive" - if a member of a global boyband had come out as gay.

"Bain's case was significant, but his group isn't as famous [so] it didn't cause as much stir domestically," Mr Lim says.

Bain has certainly helped raise awareness, he agrees.

Jung Hae In

   Jung Hae In ranks second, just behind Son Seok Koo.

3. Seo Kang Joon

   Seo Kang Joon lands in the sixth position.

7. I believe it marks a major moment". They may well reshape the K-pop industry.

But that will take time.

"It's a slow process but we're seeing more public figures speaking up or content being created around these LGBTQ issues."

But any immediate change in K-pop or the entertainment industry is unlikely, according to him.

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".

She said she thought I could overcome it, that maybe I'd someday like women.