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Alecsandra Tubiera 

Through his actions and words alike, K-pop idol Ren has long since been a celebrity known for championing self-love and open-mindedness, and challenging South Korea’s gender norms. Nu’est’s unafraid maknae, or youngest member, born Choi Min-ki, rarely shies away from expressing himself and his thoughts, which only makes him more admirable to fans – and offers an inspiration to the general public in an often-conservative society.
Am I a boy or a girl? I am a man. Fashion makes a person and its impression
Ren












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A post shared by 최민기 REN (@glorypath) on Apr 23, 2020 at 7:11am PDT



The carefree idol is mostly known for his blunt personality, especially when it comes to not being ashamed of his androgynous looks, from brazenly using make-up to dressing in drag for ads and live shows.












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A post shared by 최민기 REN (@glorypath) on Sep 10, 2020 at 4:50am PDT



As the Busan-born singer turns 25, here are some of the moments when he broke down gender stereotypes.
LGBTQ+ and androgynous K-pop idols who challenge gender norms
Taking on the role of Jamie












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A post shared by 최민기 REN (@glorypath) on Jul 7, 2020 at 2:55am PDT



Earlier this year, Ren was one of four actors – alongside fellow K-pop idols 2AM’s Jo Kwon, Astro’s MJ and actor Shin Joo-hyup – tasked with rotating the lead role in the Korean version of musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie . The story follows the 16-year-old high school protagonist who dreams of becoming a drag queen, and the challenges he endures along the way.












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A post shared by 최민기 REN (@glorypath) on Sep 19, 2020 at 4:43am PDT



This was Asia’s first production of the play, and Ren’s decision to take on the role showed his bravery in portraying the unconventional character in South Korea, where some are still turning their backs on the LGBTQ+ community.
His China-based ad
Ren is one of a few idols who have sported long hair during the course of his career, and his luscious locks even made it to China. He appeared comfortable and totally at ease wearing skirts and dresses for an advertisement photo shoot for China-based online mall, VIP Shop.


He rocked the outfits and even proudly posted his achievement on Twitter with the caption: “Am I a boy or a girl? I am a man. Fashion makes a person and its impression.” His transformation impressed netizens and fans worldwide.

Am I a boy or a girl?
I am a man.
Fashion makes a person and its impression#Fashion #skirt… https://t.co/Bwij9i53kG
— REN (@ChoiGoRen) May 7, 2016

Meet Holland, K-pop’s first openly gay idol – 10 things to know
Inspired by Lady Gaga
Not only has Ren gushed about his love and support of Lady Gaga, his debut teaser clip was clearly inspired by the singer’s own earlier image concepts. He sported long, blond hair and various nail art.


Being a fan of one of the most iconic, individualistic artists in the world likely shaped Ren’s own outlook as an artist, inspiring him to express his own sentiments online and offer his experiences as a source of strength to fans. He has continuously performed covers of Gaga’s songs in concerts and solo shows, and even wore outfits similar to those in the artist’s music videos.

Minki, from K-Pop boy band NU'EST, performed Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" at one of their concerts recently. pic.twitter.com/kHsFbZ6pzM
— GAGA NOTIFY (@gaganotify) December 8, 2019

That Japanese MC situation












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A post shared by 최민기 REN (@glorypath) on Nov 9, 2019 at 3:31am PST



When Nu’est appeared on Japanese talk show Hallyu Zap, Ren talked about owning various make-up products and doing his own make-up in his free time. As he continued to tell his story, a Japanese MC commented that he was “like a girl” for doing so. Instead of being insulted, however, Ren simply said “thank you”, much to the surprise of the MCs. He also told them he liked wearing women’s clothing in commercial videos.

[Rough TRANS] #NUEST Hallyu Zap interview (Ren) pic.twitter.com/r2n1a6Zwrz
— REN'ZAN (@nuestZ) November 15, 2016

How LGBTQ+-friendly are Asia’s home-grown fashion brands?
His legendary Boy’s Day performance
Ren once performed as part of a one-off supergroup riffing on the all-female Girl’s Day band – cheekily dubbed Boy’s Day – along with BTOB’s Minhyuk, VIXX’s Hongbin and A-JAX’s Seungjin, for the special 400th episode of Show! Music Core in 2014. To make his transformation complete, Ren wore a long black dress with a wig and glamorous make-up, and was complimented for his commitment to the role.


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How Nu’est’s Ren is challenging K-pop gender norms: androgynous looks, Lady Gaga covers and playing a wannabe drag queen in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

K-pop star Ren from Nu’est is known to make a statement through both his looks and words alike. Photo: @glorypath/Instagram

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Monsta X’s Minhyuk, who turns 27 on November 3, has shared the stage with other K-pop idols throughout his career. Photo: @go5rae/Instagram

Minhyuk from Monsta X and Cha Eun-woo from Astro helping each other. Photo Courtesy of MBC.

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BTS Jimin in his childhood. Photo: @bangtan__armyyyyy / Instagram

BTS V in his childhood. Photo: @bts.v.inthewonderland / Instagram

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BTS Jin in his childhood. Photo: @bangtanworldborahae / Instagram

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Multi-talented Jin-young in the drama When My Love Blooms. Photo: TVN

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Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden, one of the best Asian films featuring an LGBT storyline. Photo: CJ Entertainment

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Holland, also known as Go Tae-seob, is K-pop's first openly gay idol. Photo: Bang Showbiz

Holland K-pop's first openly gay idol

Holland  K-Pop's first openly gay idol. Photo: BANG Showbiz

Holland Kpops first openly gay idol. Photo: BANG Showbiz

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Blunt, carefree and unafraid, the K-pop idol born Choi Min-ki made his musical theatre debut in 2020 in Asia’s first production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – sharing the lead role with 2AM’s Jo Kwon and Astro’s MJ


From wearing make-up and singing Lady Gaga covers to playing a wannabe drag queen in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, this idol is an outsider’s icon
