Which male idols do you think are gay?

[Aisling]

Inspiration behind BTS V's Singularity

 

 

https://twitter.com/riseofbxngtan/status/1079106112186712065

 

Edit: "Confessions of a Mask" by Yukio Mishima- a story about a gay man in Post-war Japan who has to live behind a "mask"

 

^Now THAT's some tea.

 

Also, have some more chaotic activity (again, not posting for shipping reasons):

[Aisling]

I can see the idol industry becoming outdated and irrelevant in the (near?) future unless there's a reformation but I still think we are going to get out gay idol(s) before that.

It largely depends on society and the public's perception of gay people.

It's getting better each year and with globalization and the increase of LGBT media representation it's only a matter of time.

Remember that in 2003 homosexuality was still illegal in parts of the US and only 12 years later gay marriage would be legalized.

 

I don't know if kpop is really becoming outdated/irrelevant, since groups like BTS have been elevating it from niche to mainstream around the world, but I do wonder how that will influence the industry. I feel like it would make at least some companies feel more comfortable taking risks, since they're not as beholden to the Korean market as they used to be. 

[Aisling]

We will always be at the mercy of the majority and their acceptance and tolerance to give us a space in life and in entertainment. 

 

I think the most important thing to remember is that change will happen, but it's not the idol industry that needs the change, it's South Korea, it's culture and it's people. The idol industry will follow if life becomes better and safer for LGBT individuals in SK.

 

At this point, I think it'd just be cool to see a popular idol group produce a song that highlights LGBT issues, or just a song about pride and self-acceptance. I don't think that's too far out or wild, heck, I could see it happen in 2019!

 

But it's kind of a cyclical thing, because society is also influenced by celebrities and the trends they set. For example, I don't know where the US would be right now if it hadn't been for celebrities who came out when society was still really homophobic, like Ellen in the 90s.

[Aisling]

SK has yet to have their "Stonewall Moment", that is, one grand moment of transformation. In the USA this took place in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, NYC. Out of this came the Gay Liberation Front, and a host of Gay Rights groups that eventually changed the public's mind, as well as the medical profession which at one point had Homosexuality listed as a mental health issue.

 

One day SK will enact it's own version, and this will set in motion the final shift...when that will be, I've no idea, but each nation has had it happen in one form or another.

 

I'm not sure they'll have a Stonewall moment, both for cultural reasons and because LGBTQ clubs and bars are already able to operate without the police regularly raiding them. I think SK is past the point of needing something like that, especially with the younger generation. What's needed is just more people coming out and showing others that it's survivable. I keep thinking about the youtubers Cheolsoo and Jangho, and how they were nervous to come out, first of all, and even after they came out, to announce they were a couple. But now they have over 90K subscribers and growing. Hopefully successes like that make others feel safer to come out too.

 

Also, speaking of successes, I heard that Lee Gangyong (street dancer and the boy from Hello, Counselor whose sister had the "concern" about him wearing makeup) got picked to be a backup dancer for BTS. That just makes me so happy. 

[Aisling]

Just one other thing, since we're talking about events that can push things forward, I do think the Korean Queer Culture Festival (Pride) has been a big deal. At the first one in 2000, only like 50 people showed up. In 2018, apparently it was something like 120,000. If we're looking for cultural change, that's it right there.

Edited January 1, 2019 by Aisling

[Aisling]

Donghae and Eunhyuk watched the first sunrise of the year together again:

 

They did the same last year:

[Aisling]

^I've posted this here before, but it's always good:

 

[Aisling]

I mean people everywhere around the world take everything they read in the news and (social) media for granted without ever thinking twice. That's why PR relationships and such exist. People are fools.

Yep. Even when people know that celebrities get set up in PR relationships and various other fakery, they still believe what they read in tabloids. 

[Aisling]

The idea that all the very top bgs and ggs are dating each other is really some middle school fanfic y'all.

[Aisling]

My dream does have r*pe scene. It's handled horribly too. I find this strange as women write the novel the bl are based off. I'm not a woman so idk I would think you wouldn't want to have this content. Considering the history with women. Maybe cause it's guys or cause he loves him it's ok. I personally hate it but I watch anything LGBT. So I deal [emoji19]

 

Sent from my LG-SP320 using OneHallyu mobile app

 

I've always been interested in this phenomenon in fiction. I've also noticed that in American fiction, rape/non-con used to be much more common in M/M fiction (especially fanfiction, mostly written by women) than it is now. There could be many explanations, but I think it's partly because the author is coming from a place of seeing it as taboo, and so they think they need to excuse it by having another character force themselves on the main character. In other words, don't blame the protagonist; he couldn't help it. 

[Aisling]

I haven't watched that many Asian BL dramas, but I can only think of like 2 I actually liked. One was HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (the Chinese one about volleyball). I'm not sure I watched every episode, but from what I can remember, the two mains were nice to each other and actually had chemistry, and it had a happy ending. The other was the Korean show The Lover. Idk if that even counts, because only one of the main couples was gay, but it was actually a quality show overall and very lighthearted. And like, Yuri on Ice as far as anime goes. 

 

Most of the other shows I've seen with M/M or F/F couples have either been problematic as fuck or just too cringey to watch. Sigh. 

Edited January 3, 2019 by Aisling

[Aisling]

After this interview, Suga said in an interview for a japanese magazine "my heart doesnt flutter between men"

After this interview, Suga said in an interview for a japanese magazine "my heart doesnt flutter between men"

 

Because if it did, he would just say so, right? Just like all the other openly gay and bi idols!

[Aisling]

Thoughts on Jungkook?

 

I personally think he's straight.

 

Personally, I think he has quite a few compelling receipts for being not-straight. Also, he has seemed to show active disinterest in girls on several occasions. Who knows, though? He's definitely not easy to read.

[Aisling]

Um why would dispatch upload this on their ig? Are they trying to be slick...

 

What is this even trying to say? 

[Aisling]

This might be getting OT, so I'll put my thoughts on the above discussion under the spoiler:

 

 

 

As someone who identifies as both gay and on the aro/ace spectrum, I think a lot of the conflict between the two communities could be lessened if we could just acknowledge that the struggles are different, and at times, we're working towards different goals. For example, the main goal for the aro/ace community is awareness and understanding, since many people have never even heard of it. For the not-straight and not-cis community, they often have to fight discriminatory laws that target them specifically. Both groups experience hardship because of their identity, just in different ways, and therefore there are different goals moving forward.

 

One thing I think we should keep in mind though is that social expectations/pressure to be in a relationship can also be, in part, attributed to heteronormativity and sexism. Women are expected to be sexually and romantically available to men (i.e. to not say no to sex, and to take care of a man at home in a relationship/marriage). Men are expected to have sexual conquests with women and maintain the gender hierarchy. Certainly, there are also people who are just ignorant of the concept of the aro/ace spectrum, and thus they try to re-label you as something they're familiar with. People still do that to bi people too, either labeling them as someone who's straight but just "experimenting" (usually women) or just labeling them as gay (usually men). Though, that doesn't necessarily mean bi people are more oppressed than gay people because more people are familiar with the concept of being gay. It's just a different set of obstacles. 

 

Also, I of course 100% agree that there should be more aro/ace representation in the media (as in, where they actually use the word). I mean, if the main issue is a lack of awareness and understanding, representation in mainstream media would be one of the most effective ways to address it. However, while it may be disappointing when a character who seems aro/ace ends up in a relationship (though tbh, I would never be disappointed if it was a same-gender relationship), I'm not sure we should call it "ace coding." At least, we should draw a distinction between that and the way "gay coding" works. "Gay coding" has often been deliberate, where the writer intends a character to be gay or bi but keeps it only implied because they're not allowed (sometimes by law) to openly portray them as gay or bi. In other instances (for example, with cartoon villains), it may be unintentional, but based on homophobic or biphobic stereotypes. Because most people unfortunately haven't heard of the aro/ace spectrum and those identities, it's less likely the writers intended to imply those characters were aro/ace, and they wouldn't knowingly have stereotypes about something they didn't know existed. 

 

Again, this is not at all to say that being on the aro/ace spectrum doesn't come with struggle. As a part of the community, I can say it definitely does, and it should be represented in the media. The two communities have a lot more in common than what separates us, and ultimately, we should be working together, especially since there are many people (like me) who overlap.  

 

 

 

[Aisling]

Not about an idol or anything but this is interesting:

Click here to view the Tweet

 

Apparently this is Lee Gangyong from Red Crew

 

Click here to view the Tweet

 

Never thought I would see him as a backup dancer for BTS 

 

I saw that he was going to be a backup dancer for BTS a little while ago when he posted about it on IG, but it's amazing to see them actually perform together. And I'm so glad to see so many people noticing him. 

[Aisling]

 

I will post those evidences I said before.

 

If you don't like it, please ignore. Many lesser evidences about others get posted recently, so if you will say "it's nothing", go to hate them first and then come. Or don't hate anything, I think it's best.

 

 

 

 

ARMY's noticed this behavior from Jimin and Jungkook on twitter, at least four times since end of 2017. Some say it's the coincidence, some say 4 times is too many to be the coincidence. I think maybe you know my opinion lol

 

1

ARMY: If you are dating Jungkook please wear glasses for next selca.

JIMIN: *Wear jikook couple shirt and glasses filter for next selca*

 

 

Normally the couple clothing isn't an evidence in my opinion, but for this situation it's relevant. This is that matching shirt from Jungkook's wearing in GCF in Tokyo (you can see in the mirror).

 

 

2

ARMY: If kiss sound is correct please do V sign for selca.

JIMIN: *Do V sign for selca in same day*

 

 

This tweet:

https://twitter.com/BTS_twt/status/1035560346814111746

 

 

 

3

ARMY: Please wear sunglasses if you are like married couple.

JUNGKOOK: *Wear sunglasses for next selca*

 

 

 

4

ARMY: Please use injeolmi filter for selca if jikook really dating.

JIMIN: *Use injeolmi filter for selca*

 

 

This reply came 2 months later, but it can be that he couldn't find the filter for that time. Injeolmi filter is very rare, it seems almost nobody knows about it. Even searching the internet, it does not come out. And most of Korean's asked don't know it. Plus Jimin usually doesn't use some filters often, so, for him knowing such the rare filter is very strange.

 

 

 

I don't really follow what goes on on Twitter, but for things like this, my guess would be that fans post a lot of these, "If you're dating, then give us ___ sign" to the point where they're bound to do one of them by chance. 

[Aisling]

I'll give it to him it looks like he supports the L in LGBT community. Idk why people are shocked when a straight man supports lesbians considering how much they fetishize them. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt tho.

 

Sent from my LG-SP320 using OneHallyu mobile app

 

They weren't sexualized at all in the MV though, so I don't think there's any reason to read it as fetishizing. 

[Aisling]

 

And speaking in movies, did you watched "In between seasons"? Is a korean movie about one boy that suffer an accident and after that, while he's in the hospital, his mom (a divorced woman) discorver that his best friend (that was welcomed and was living with them) is actually his boyfriend.

 

 

I think I remember that being posted about in here. I've never seen it though. Does it have a good ending?

[Aisling]

I'm sorry, but the heteronormativity in this video and the comment section is.....somethin' else.

 

 

[Aisling]

Just going back to the Jungkook thing, it's amazing how straight people try to explain his reactions to girls by calling him a baby and captioning his pictures with, "I'm too young to see this." The guy is 21 years old. He's said he dated a girl in middle school and broke up with her because he wasn't interested in her. It's not like he's never been introduced to the concept of girls. 

[Aisling]

 

I've read that the implementation of the law is being pretty lax for idols, but yeah if that would be the case Jin is going to the military pretty soon.

Still, I'm ready to bet that won't happen.

 

The general public would likely be enraged if they were to be exempt, but it's counterintuitive to send the most successful and profitable group to the military next year already. There's real economic interests for everyone in this matter.

Who knows how they'll handle that, if they'll enlist in groups or go one by one. But maybe I'm wrong and we're one comeback away from Jin's enlistment, who knows lmao.

 

But sure, bighit is planning the new group to be successful enough when the moment will come for BTS.

 

 

I've always wondered, does the Korean general public take issue with athletes being exempted? Because if those exemptions can be justified, why not groups like BTS that undeniably contribute more to the economy and reputation of Korea internationally? 

[Aisling]

True and I'd have to say the majority of this thought process comes from western cultures, unlike over here in Korea and other parts of Asia like Japan everything isn't sexualized down to a common denominator like it is in the west this is why skinship between others is looked over without any batting an eye its as normal as a handshake, but in the west everyone reads this as some romantic or sexual thing which is ridiculous and which fuels that toxic shipping mentality. Kpop idols are professionals they are actors, dancers musicians and singers so yes the majority of the blank expressions or interested looks is mostly them admiring each other's work,looking at what new moves were added what are the strengths and weaknesses of a technique or a colleague and what they can improve on make new or notice strengths and weaknesses in other idols, this is a business after all. But with western fans its omg he or she is looking at X idol intently they must love eachother or be fucking or something romantic. When in reality its example: Jackson thinking wow wonho has a nice body i wanna be that big and cool dances might try that technique.

 

I understand your point, but the original post (and general discussion) was about m/f idol shipping. With that, I feel like both eastern and western fans are guilty of reading too much into every interaction between men and women. Also, I think the fact that male and female idols are kept so separated in public and rarely interact openly leads to fans making a bigger deal out every tiny interaction. 

[Aisling]

This is nothing really, but look at Hobi being a king of sass:

 

(x)

Edited January 11, 2019 by Aisling

[Aisling]

In the past Yoongi has seemed to get enjoyment from putting others on the spot where men and male attention are concerned, as long as its not him being targeted. He's also really quick to pick up on male attraction to his group mates.  

 

He really does. I need to make a compilation of these moments one of these days. The two that I always remember are him happily pushing Hobi and Tae's heads together when they had to kiss, and excitedly screaming, "Boy crusheeee! Boy crush!!!" when Namjoon talked about Jin.