In a music scene known for its glossy perfection, rehearsed personas, and often-unspoken rules, one K-pop star just rewrote the script — with a Pride flag in one hand and Lady Gaga blasting from the speakers.
During a charged performance at The Vermont Hollywood on Tuesday night, JUST B’s Bain took a leap that felt more like a soaring liberation than a mere announcement. Midway through a cover of Gaga’s unapologetic LGBTQ+ anthem Born This Way, Bain did something that made the crowd roar — not with the usual fan chants or synchronized light sticks, but with something heavier: joy, solidarity, and damn near catharsis.
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“I’m f*cking proud to be a part of the LGBTQ community,” he shouted, waving the rainbow high. It wasn’t a throwaway statement. It was defiant. Tender. Loud. Necessary.
For context, Bain — real name Song Byeong-hee, born in 2001 — debuted in 2021 as part of six-member group JUST B. That’s a short résumé in K-pop years, where idols are groomed for industry life like Olympic athletes and monitored like national secrets. So when Bain, who was still dancing and belting vocals with heart-thumping energy, said those words in front of a packed international crowd, it was a seismic shift for an industry known more for fanservice than for frankness.
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Following the announcement, Bain’s fellow members — Geonu, Lim Jimin, JM, DY, and Sangwoo — visibly stood by his side, some offering hugs, high-fives, and words of encouragement right on stage. The moment was quiet, but powerful: a small show of unity that said more than any press release ever could. Later, clips circulated of the group backstage, laughing and hyping him up like brothers who knew the weight of what just happened — and weren’t going to let him carry it alone.
The moment hit hard — not just for its boldness, but for its realness. K-pop fans are used to decoding cryptic interviews, “we’re-all-just-besties” moments, and vague support for queer issues that rarely cross the line into personal admission. But Bain didn’t tiptoe around it. He came out. In technicolor. In California. During a Lady Gaga number. Come on, if that isn’t iconic, what is?
And social media? Oh, it delivered. Twitter timelines became timelines of love. Instagram stories lit up with rainbow hearts and teary emojis. Reddit users have gone insane with support.
But let’s not pretend this is just about one concert or one idol. Bain’s declaration arrives in a cultural space where coming out still carries real risk — reputational, emotional, even professional. The K-pop industry, for all its glitter, is built on control, image, and careful curation. Queerness, when acknowledged at all, is often sanitized or coded. That’s what makes Bain’s words feel not just brave, but radical.
And this is where it matters: to the queer fans who have had to imagine their way into songs that weren’t made for them. To the kids in Seoul, or Manila, or Topeka, who might see themselves a little clearer now. To anyone who’s ever watched their favorite idol flash a peace sign and wondered, “Could they be like me?”
Bain didn’t answer every question, and he doesn’t owe anyone his whole story. But what he gave on that stage was something rare and vital: visibility. He claimed his truth in a space that doesn’t often make room for it — and in doing so, he cracked the door open for others to follow.
So yes, it was a concert. Yes, it was a performance. But it was also more. It was a glitter-soaked, bass-thumping, flag-waving declaration of self. And in a world where visibility can change lives, that’s worth celebrating.
Bain, welcome. You weren’t just born this way — you made sure we saw it. And we are here for every second. 