“The concert venue was packed with LGBTQIA fans who felt totally safe to be themselves”
BY RAI POWELL, IMAGE BY GETTY IMAGES
K-pop fandoms have been plagued by homophobia for decades and it’s no surprise when the conservative country it originates from still doesn’t allow same-sex marriage. But, despite backlash and protests from religious groups, Saturday 1 June saw some 150,000 people gather in central Seoul, the capital of South Korea, to celebrate the 25th annual Pride Parade. Small steps are (very) slowly being made towards gay rights in the country with the help of K-pop groups who are pushing boundaries and doing their best to support their LGBTQIA fans and express that all-important representation. On Sunday 2 June, I went to my first K-pop concert at Heaven in London, and it was the most beautiful experience.
I recently watched Bump Up Business, a Korean drama with a queer storyline which centres around two K-Pop idols who are forced by their management company to portray a ‘gay concept’ to make money but end up falling in love for real. I was shocked to discover that all of the actors were in the same K-pop group, which of course led me to look them up. OnlyOneOf (OOO) is a trailblazing six-member boy band fearlessly challenging the norms of the Korean music industry with their bold and sensual concepts. Since their debut in 2019, they have never been afraid to push against the conservative social norms of their country. Their music videos overtly express the beauty and the hardships of gay relationships, which has prompted some to accuse them of queerbating, as K-pop groups are not yet able to openly identify as queer. But OOO shows their support for their LGBTQIA fans in many ways, including helping a queer fan propose during their show, something that member KB was massively excited about.
The management companies of most K-pop bands refuse to let their artists show support for LGBTQIA fans for fear of them being associated with or outing themselves. But OOO doesn’t care about that, and it’s become a tradition for their queer fans to throw pride flags on stage during the final song and for the members to not only pick them up and hold them, but dance and wrap them around their bodies. I was determined to try and get my own flag up there with them.
The concert venue was packed with LGBTQIA fans who felt totally safe to be themselves. Being in a punk rock band and a fan of heavy music I have experienced my fair share of rowdy music shows and I had a misguided preconception that the K-pop fans would go wild when the band started. Instead, it was the politest concert I have ever been to. We spent hours queuing up in numerical order based on when we bought our tickets, no one attempted to jump the queue, and there was no pushing or shoving. The fans around us were helping each other out and sharing homemade gifts, photo cards of the band’s members and cute handmade keyrings and signs. We took turns meeting the band, one by one, as they signed our posters and albums. We high-fived the members, took group photos, and then lined up by the stage ready for the show.
I was a little anxious, expecting the crowd to surge forward as soon as the group started, but everyone stayed put and just enjoyed the performance. The members flirted and danced with each other during songs to screams of appreciation, and fans near the barrier passed out bottles of water to the ones further back. The boys on stage constantly checked in with the fans, making sure we were okay and enjoying the concert and, when the last song started, my wife manoeuvred her way to the barrier and threw my pride flag onto the stage. I filmed Rie as he made his way down the stage steps and picked up my flag which he held on to and danced with until the end of the show. To witness a Korean pop group holding up my pride flag on stage, in a gay club, on the second day of pride month, was so magical and emotional for me and for so many of the other fans in the room. After the show, I posed for a picture with KB and thanked him as a queer person for everything that they do, and I could tell that he was moved.
It’s a day that I will never forget.
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