Beloved K-pop star refused to deny rumours he was gay in case he was ‘disrespectful to sexual minorities’
Kim Hee-chul, a beloved South Korean singer and actor and member of Super Junior. (Screen capture via Love of 7.7 Billion)
Beloved K-pop star Kim Hee-chul, better known as Heechul, revealed Monday the moving reason why he has denied rumours that he’s gay.
Speaking on Love of 7.7 Billion alongside out South Korean gay actor and TV personality Hong Suk Chun, Heechul, a host of the JTBC show, described how he has often become tangled in rumours and speculations surrounding his sexuality.
“People who know this know, but in the early days of my debut, there were endless rumours that I was gay,” the Super Junior member, 36, said.
K-pop star refuses to deny sexuality rumours.
“I was even named in scandals with male celebrities. It’s because I had long hair and wore colour contact lenses in the early days of my debut.”
He continued: “At first, I wanted to deny that I was gay, but I felt that if I did, I could possibly disrespect sexual minorities.
“Whether it’s overseas or in the country, there could be a gay person among the male fans who come to our concerts.
“I thought that I would feel apologetic towards those fans.”
Not the first time Heechul has been pestered about his sexuality,
Heechul has, at times, stated that he’s saddened by the speculation that he is gay simply because of his appearance.
“I’m not gay,” he said to Yonhap News in 2017, IB Times reported, “I like women.
“But I realised that if I say I’m not and vehemently deny it, it’s rude and hurtful to people who are actually gay.
“It’s just a matter of preference, and it’s just that everyone is different with different values.”
He continued: “I decided I don’t care even if people who have prejudices about me think that way.”
