Meet K-Pop’s First All LGBTQ+ Boy Group

Lionesses is making history as the first LGBTQ+ K-Pop boy group!

Lionesses’ Lee Marlang, Kanghan, Foxman, and Damjun | @lionesses.official/Instagram

Lionesses is made up of 4 members.

| @lionesses.official/Instagram

This is Damjun.

| @lionesses.official/Instagram

This is Foxman.

| @lionesses.official/Instagram

This is Kanghan.

| @lionesses.official/Instagram

This is Lee Marlang, the group’s maknae.

| @lionesses.official/Instagram

The group of 4 met while frequenting LGBTQ+ friendly places in South Korea. Over time, they bonded over their desire to make music that the LGBTQ+ community would resonate with. The members said they hope to “play the role of a lighthouse so that young LGBTQ people who dream of becoming musicians don’t miss their shot due to their fear.”

| LIONESSES Official/YouTube

The group’s name was inspired by real-life lionesses. Damjun said that lionesses are the real rulers of the jungle, even though people think male lions run the jungle. He said, “We tend to think that the carnivore at the top of the food chain in the African ecosystem, which we often see through the media, is the male lion with the thick bushy mane. But the ruler of the plains is actually the lioness. It’s a group of lionesses in charge of the hunting of the troop.”

| LIONESSES Official/YouTube

Lionesses said they plan to emphasize queer acceptance in their music. While they acknowledged that South Korea has progressed in terms of LGBTQ+ acceptance, Foxman said there’s still much work to be done. He said, “I think Korean society is still very conservative — although it’s much better than before — and I think our perspectives and perceptions will change more in the future.”

| LIONESSES Official/YouTube

Lionesses acknowledged that there are other openly LGBTQ+ K-Pop idols, but they are the first boy group in which every single member is openly LGBTQ+ at the time of their debut.

| LIONESSES Official/YouTube

Their debut single “Show Me Your Pride” was released in October 2021.

Since then, the group has continued to be active on social media and YouTube, releasing a steady stream of videos and music. While they debuted with four members, they have primarily been promoting with three as Foxman has been on hiatus for health reasons. They have also had performances at Pride Expo 2023 in Seoul.