Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean Talks Gay Band Members, Beg A 'Fag Hag' | HuffPost Voic

Contents:

• BOY BAND MEMBERS WHO ARE OUT AS GAY, BISEXUAL OR QUEER
• BACKSTREET BOYS' A.J. MCLEAN TALKS GAY BAND MEMBERS, BEG A 'FAG HAG'
• MEET UNN J, THE BRISH BOY BAND WH THE OPENLY GAY MEMBERBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 27, 2013/12:15 PMBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 27, 2013 / 12:15 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"MEET UNN J, THE BRISH BOY BAND WH THE OPENLY GAY MEMBER","DATEPUBLISHED":"2013-04-27T16:15:29.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2013-04-27T16:15:29.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}[PTN ID="ATTACHMENT_98342" ALIGN="ALIGNCENTER" WIDTH="473"] UNN J'S J.J. HAMBLETT, GEE SHELLEY, JAYMI HENSLEY AND JOSH CUTHBERT (PHOTO: GETTY)[/PTN]{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT'S NOT UNMON FOR A MEMBER OF A BOY BAND TO E OUT—BOTH N'SYNC'S LANCE BASS AND NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK'S JONATHAN KNIGHT HAVE SPOKEN PUBLICLY ABOUT THEIR SEXUALY. BUT A BOY BANR WHO'S OPENLY GAY AT THE START OF HIS REER? THAT'S A NEW ONE ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FOLLOWG THE FOOTSTEPS OF ONE DIRECTN AND THE WANTED, UNN J ARE ANOTHER BATCH OF BRISH LADS HOPG TO NQUER THE WORLD WH THEIR MELOD VOIC AND ADORABLE MUGS. BUT UNLIKE THOSE CHART-TOPPG ACTS, BAND MEMBER JAYMI HENSLEY HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT BEG GAY ALMOST SCE THE START, WHEN THE QUARTET WAS FORMED ON THE UK VERSN OF X FACTOR LAST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SCE THEN, UNN J HAS BEEN PERFORMG, MAKG PUBLIC APPEARANC AND WORKG ON A BUT ALBUM. THEY JT BUTED THEIR FIRST SGLE, "CARRY YOU," ON CAPAL FM THIS WEEK. (IT'S AVAILABLE ON ITUN ON JUNE 2.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A NOVEMBER TERVIEW WH BRA'S SUN, HENSLEY CREDS THEIR MANAGER LOUIS WALSH, WHO ALSO GUID BOYZONE AND WTLIFE TO FAME AND FORTUNE: “I SPOKE TO LOUIS ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID, ‘PUT THIS WAY, BOTH OF MY BIG BOY BANDS HAD A GAY MEMBER THEM.’ SO HE SAID FS THE FORMULA QUE WELL!"{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO HIS CRED, HENSLEY WANTED TO BE STRAIGHT UP (SO TO SPEAK) OM THE START: “I DIDN’T WANT TO DO FIVE YEARS’ TIME WHEN I HAVE MA MONEY AND HAD A REER," HE SAYS. "I DON’T THK ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO HI WHO THEY ARE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HENSLEY SAYS HE'S ALREADY HEARD OM APPRECIATIVE GAY FANS:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I GOT A TWEET OM A BOY WHO MT HAVE BEEN 13 OR 14, ASKG IF THE MOURS THAT I WAS GAY WERE TE. HE SAID HE REALLY WISHED I ULD BE OUT BEE HE DIDN’T HAVE ANYONE TO LOOK UP TO AND WAS FDG REALLY HARD TO F AND TELL HIS PARENTS. I WAS THAT KID AT 14 AND REALLY WISH I HAD SOMEONE TO SAY WAS OK TO BE PICTURED ON THE RED RPET WH A GUY AND BE GAY A BOY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN ADDN TO BEG OUT AND THE SPOTLIGHT, HENSLEY OFFERS YOUNG GAYS SOMETHG NEW: A GAY CELEBRY WHOSE JOURNEY WAS ANGST-EE: "I ME OUT WHEN I WAS 14 TO MY FAY AND IENDS AND NEVER HAD ONE PIECE OF NEGATIVY," HE SAYS OF HIS SEXUALY. "I HOPE THE REACTN WILL HOPEFULLY BE, ‘OK, WE KD OF KNEW, BUT WELL DONE ON G OUT."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HENSLEY'S NOT SET ON BEG A SPOKMAN FOR THE LGBT MUNY—HE JT WANTS TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE PERKS OF BOY-BAND FAME ON HIS OWN TERMS: “I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO GAY CLUBS AND BE PICTURED WH [UK PERSONALY KATIE PRICE] AND HER GAY IENDS. I WANT TO HAVE FUN WH MY LIFE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WELL DONE, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BELOW, TAKE A LISTEN TO "CARRY YOU."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND UNN J'S LIVE PERFORMANCE OF "CALL ME MAYBE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• 40 BT GAY SGERS & MICIANS OF ALL TIME (LGBTQ+ SGERS)
• FIRST OPENLY GAY K-POP BOY BAND RELEAS SGLE ‘SHOW ME YOUR PRI’

BOY BAND MEMBERS WHO ARE OUT AS GAY, BISEXUAL OR QUEER

And we were like, let's jt make a tracklist of our songs that we're gog to put and we ma a tracklist of like 50 different songs wh jt ridiculo tl that we will never e but that was, kd of the genis of Then we moved, when we got back om London, we moved to hell's kchen, which is like a gayborhood the cy. Cameron Cipolla: That's a good Gray: I would say "gay pop dis. We said gay pop It's like One Directn if they were on poppers.

I don't thk he was even gay the mil. Cameron Cipolla: I mean, growg up and watchg all the '90s movi and like Sry Movie and I don't know, a bunch of movi that was a joke to be gay. I n't be gay, blah, blah, blah.

' So, seeg a gay person livg happily and like was like not a big al was fely was probably the biggt for me, watchg that middle your b on Instagram, says "queer boy band.

BACKSTREET BOYS' A.J. MCLEAN TALKS GAY BAND MEMBERS, BEG A 'FAG HAG'

When I first me out though, he was like, 'Did you move to New York jt to be gay? ' So, I thk 's important to like the '90s and '00s, when boy bands were peakg, I know a lot of them were subjected gay jok bee I feel, like a lot of thgs, pecially when to men, if they have like a big fan base ma up of women, lots of gay jok are thrown around.

Cameron Cipolla: I don't thk we've ever gotten hate for beg gay. I don't thk there's been any homophobic hate Avenu: I mean, not that we know are so many out LGBTQ+ artists out there than ever before.

MEET UNN J, THE BRISH BOY BAND WH THE OPENLY GAY MEMBERBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 27, 2013/12:15 PMBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 27, 2013 / 12:15 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"MEET UNN J, THE BRISH BOY BAND WH THE OPENLY GAY MEMBER","DATEPUBLISHED":"2013-04-27T16:15:29.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2013-04-27T16:15:29.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}[PTN ID="ATTACHMENT_98342" ALIGN="ALIGNCENTER" WIDTH="473"] UNN J'S J.J. HAMBLETT, GEE SHELLEY, JAYMI HENSLEY AND JOSH CUTHBERT (PHOTO: GETTY)[/PTN]{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT'S NOT UNMON FOR A MEMBER OF A BOY BAND TO E OUT—BOTH N'SYNC'S LANCE BASS AND NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK'S JONATHAN KNIGHT HAVE SPOKEN PUBLICLY ABOUT THEIR SEXUALY. BUT A BOY BANR WHO'S OPENLY GAY AT THE START OF HIS REER? THAT'S A NEW ONE ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FOLLOWG THE FOOTSTEPS OF ONE DIRECTN AND THE WANTED, UNN J ARE ANOTHER BATCH OF BRISH LADS HOPG TO NQUER THE WORLD WH THEIR MELOD VOIC AND ADORABLE MUGS. BUT UNLIKE THOSE CHART-TOPPG ACTS, BAND MEMBER JAYMI HENSLEY HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT BEG GAY ALMOST SCE THE START, WHEN THE QUARTET WAS FORMED ON THE UK VERSN OF X FACTOR LAST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SCE THEN, UNN J HAS BEEN PERFORMG, MAKG PUBLIC APPEARANC AND WORKG ON A BUT ALBUM. THEY JT BUTED THEIR FIRST SGLE, "CARRY YOU," ON CAPAL FM THIS WEEK. (IT'S AVAILABLE ON ITUN ON JUNE 2.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A NOVEMBER TERVIEW WH BRA'S SUN, HENSLEY CREDS THEIR MANAGER LOUIS WALSH, WHO ALSO GUID BOYZONE AND WTLIFE TO FAME AND FORTUNE: “I SPOKE TO LOUIS ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID, ‘PUT THIS WAY, BOTH OF MY BIG BOY BANDS HAD A GAY MEMBER THEM.’ SO HE SAID FS THE FORMULA QUE WELL!"{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO HIS CRED, HENSLEY WANTED TO BE STRAIGHT UP (SO TO SPEAK) OM THE START: “I DIDN’T WANT TO DO FIVE YEARS’ TIME WHEN I HAVE MA MONEY AND HAD A REER," HE SAYS. "I DON’T THK ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO HI WHO THEY ARE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HENSLEY SAYS HE'S ALREADY HEARD OM APPRECIATIVE GAY FANS:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I GOT A TWEET OM A BOY WHO MT HAVE BEEN 13 OR 14, ASKG IF THE MOURS THAT I WAS GAY WERE TE. HE SAID HE REALLY WISHED I ULD BE OUT BEE HE DIDN’T HAVE ANYONE TO LOOK UP TO AND WAS FDG REALLY HARD TO F AND TELL HIS PARENTS. I WAS THAT KID AT 14 AND REALLY WISH I HAD SOMEONE TO SAY WAS OK TO BE PICTURED ON THE RED RPET WH A GUY AND BE GAY A BOY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN ADDN TO BEG OUT AND THE SPOTLIGHT, HENSLEY OFFERS YOUNG GAYS SOMETHG NEW: A GAY CELEBRY WHOSE JOURNEY WAS ANGST-EE: "I ME OUT WHEN I WAS 14 TO MY FAY AND IENDS AND NEVER HAD ONE PIECE OF NEGATIVY," HE SAYS OF HIS SEXUALY. "I HOPE THE REACTN WILL HOPEFULLY BE, ‘OK, WE KD OF KNEW, BUT WELL DONE ON G OUT."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HENSLEY'S NOT SET ON BEG A SPOKMAN FOR THE LGBT MUNY—HE JT WANTS TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE PERKS OF BOY-BAND FAME ON HIS OWN TERMS: “I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO GAY CLUBS AND BE PICTURED WH [UK PERSONALY KATIE PRICE] AND HER GAY IENDS. I WANT TO HAVE FUN WH MY LIFE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WELL DONE, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BELOW, TAKE A LISTEN TO "CARRY YOU."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND UNN J'S LIVE PERFORMANCE OF "CALL ME MAYBE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

So for me 's like, I don't feel brave for jt sayg I'm gay om the get-go. I gus we are sentially, but fely givg cred to every gay person, artist or not, who me before , bee whout them, this would lerally have never Avenu: Especially the Black trans Yeah. And I don't really ever put to thought like, 'Oh, are people gog to hate for beg gay om the get-go for dog this?

40 BT GAY SGERS & MICIANS OF ALL TIME (LGBTQ+ SGERS)

We've known each other sce we were all Avenu: We were iends before this all We were like baby gays and grew up as adult gays together. We are four whe men this world who like, 'Y, we're gay, ' but that don't give any pass as the privilege that we have.

The mastream populary of boy bands wtern mic almost ensur that one or two members of each group intifi as gay, bisexual or queer. Most out gay boy band members talk about their early reer days of havg dual personas - the public heterosexual teen male, and the private gay dividual - creatg an thenticy paradox. There have been sporadic attempts to create succsful all-gay boy bands to ter to the LGBTQ dance club crowd.

FIRST OPENLY GAY K-POP BOY BAND RELEAS SGLE ‘SHOW ME YOUR PRI’

Neverthels, there is a group of notable boy band members who publicly intify as gay, bisexual or queer. LGBTQ+ people the untry faced a backlash last year after an outbreak of COVID-19 was lked to gay clubs the untry's pal, Seoul.

For as long there have been boy bands, there have been gay or bisexual boy band members.

Sger Dunn Jam, who has a dghter wh an ex-girliend, first me out as bisexual 2009 but later clarified that he is gay, acknowledgg a Brish TV documentary that he had a three-year relatnship wh one of Blue's hunky male backup dancers. He also admted he was so sred people would fd out he was gay that he dated women, even havg sex wh some of them, which was, ultimately, what broke up his relatnship wh his dancer boyiend: "I broke his heart to the pot where he uldn't be wh me that way anymore and end .