Cocona, a member of the J-pop and R&B group XG, has publicly come out as Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB) transmasculine and non-binary in a social media post on their 20th birthday.
The singer shared an emotional message on the group’s Instagram channel reflecting on their birth gender and the “discomfort” they felt with it.
“As I reach this new chapter in my life, I want to share something that’s been in my heart for a long time,” Cocona said in the message, posted in Japanese and English.
“I am AFAB transmasculine non-binary. I was born and perceived as female but that label never represented who I truly am. I live in a way that feels more masculine and true to who I am.”
Transmasculine refers to people who are born female but identify as more masculine, whether partially or fully. Non-binary is an umbrella term for gender identities that do not fit within “male” or “female” categories.
Cocona also shared they had top surgery earlier this year. The procedure removes or reshapes breast tissue to create a more traditionally masculine chest.
The rapper said “accepting and embracing myself” was the “hardest thing” they had done.
“But as I slowly began to do that, I was able to open a new door,” Cocona wrote. “That moment changed the way I see and understand the world, and it gave me the courage and strength to grow.”
“Now, I can finally say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with who I am inside.’”
The rapper thanked the other six members of XG, the group’s producer and label CEO Simon Jakops, and their parents for enabling them “to come this far”.
XG is a Japanese pop and hip-hop group created by XGALX and based in South Korea. Since debuting in 2022, they have built a global identity, leaning into rap-heavy tracks, R&B production and street-dance aesthetics to set themselves apart from traditional J-pop acts as well as mainstream K-pop girl groups.
Jakops shared a message on his personal Instagram, along with a picture with the group in kimonos, saying that he was “filled with deep admiration and respect” for Cocona.
“I will continue to sincerely support each of our members, not only as artists but also as individuals, so that they can be genuinely respected for who they are and live lives they truly love,” Jakops said in their message, posted in Japanese, Korean and English.
“Of course, I take great pride in XG's art. But more than anything, what I want the world to see is the genuine spirit and pure hearts that each of them carries within.”
South Korean culture is generally conservative towards gender identity and sexuality. Same-sex relationships aren’t criminalised but face discrimination and stigma, making it risky for K-pop idols considering talking about their sexuality.
Earlier this year, Bain from the K-pop boy band Just B came out during a US tour, saying he was “proud to be part of the LGBT community”.
In 2018, Holland made headlines when he released a self-funded music video featuring a same-sex kiss and debuting as a gay K-pop idol. The singer previously talked about how no entertainment agency was willing to sign him and, in 2022, said he had been assaulted and subjected to homophobic slurs in Seoul.
Similarly, MRSHLL, who debuted in 2017, talked about how he was warned it would be “social suicide” to reveal he was homosexual in the Korean entertainment industry.
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