Homosexuality in K Pop
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Since I have read up on homosexuality in South Korea actually.
Just for those who do not know: South Korea has one of the lowest LGBTQ acceptance rates in all developed countries. While being in a homosexual relationship is legal, neither marriage nor legal partnerships are possible for same sex couples.
Members of the LGBTQ Community are unfortunately very likely to be bullied and ridiculed and a lot choose not to come out due to fear of discrimination.
Now we come to the thing I actually wanted to discuss: homosexuality in K Pop. Like I said, it’s been on my mind a lot recently simply because it is such a double edged sword and very controversial.
On the one hand, some idols have openly stated their dislike of homosexual relationships e. g. Zico from Block B whose controversial song lyrics have gotten him into quite some trouble and Super Junior’s Siwon who has been quite vocal about the issue as well. And unfortunately there have been some other cases of idols saying ignorant or even homophobic things as well. And I’m not saying that they’re all huge homophobes, some might just be ignorant because they aren’t well informed about the issue or could even have been misquoted or things could have gotten lost in translation. But some of them quite obviously do not accept homosexuals, just like about 52% of the South Korean population.
And a lot of this comes down to the culture they have grown up in. South Korea is still very traditional in their views about family and relationships. And conservative Christian groups are a very important factor in South Korean society.
But here is the other thing, fanservice and shipping are a very essential part of K Pop, like it or not. Members of literally every group out there are being shipped with another member or even members of their bands right now. Think about all of the fanfics being written and videos of their best moments being edited right this second.
And often times the idols are aware of this and engage in some fanservice because of it. Kisses on the cheek, hugs, couple outfits are only some examples. And their fans-Korean and international alike-love it. And it’s completely accepted.
Also members just being affectionate with each other is totally fine.
But despite K Pop being one of the gayest things ever-and I say this with love-there is still only one openly gay idol out there. All hail our gay king Holland.
And he revealed that he was bullied because of his sexuality during middle school, even by some people who are now idols. And I know kids sometimes say really stupid shit. And the people who bullied Holland might have a completely different stance when it comes to the topic of homosexuality now, but listening to children can provide very interesting insights on the culture they live in.
And young Korean fangirls and boys are just as invested in their favorite ships as the international fans hailing from countries with higher LGBTQ acceptance rates.
So why is fanservice okay but real homosexuality isn’t? That is so messed up and bothers me a lot. Affection between two people of the same gender is totally cool as long as they’re gorgeous K Pop idols and at the end of the day they’re just two straight people messing around.
This culture of semi-acceptance of homosexuality needs to change asap. Think of all the young LGBTQ Koreans out there. They deserve to have role models comfortable enough to come out as gay, bisexual, transgender or whatever else they want. And so do all of the international members of the LGBTQ community who are K Pop fans.
And more importantly, all of the idols deserve to live in a culture which doesn’t judge them for their sexual orientation, a culture which celebrates them for being themselves rather than forcing them to hide. Holland’s bravery was a great step in the right direction so there is some hope after all. So please just support the LGBTQ community and gay idols just as much as you support your favorite ships.
Excuse me why doesn’t this have more notes?
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