J-Pop star, AAA band member Shinjiro Atae comes out as gay: 'I finally have the courage'
Japanese pop star and AAA band member Shinjiro Atae has come out as gay in an emotional message to his followers.
"To all my fans, today was a very special day for me. For years, I struggled to accept a part of myself... But now, after all I have been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you about something. I am a gay man," the 34-year-old singer wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, referencing his speech at a fan event at the Line Cube Shibuya in Tokyo that was reportedly attended by around 2,000 people.
"It has taken me a long time to be able to say I am gay," he continued. "I could not even say it to myself. However, I've come to realize it is better, both for me and for the people I care about, including my fans, to live life authentically than to live a life never accepting who I truly am."
He added, "I hope people who are struggling with the same feeling will find courage and know they are not alone."
Atae's announcement coincided with the release of his new single, "Into the Light," the proceeds from which will be donated to Japan's first permanent LGBTQIA+ center, Pride House Tokyo, and ReBit, a support group for LGBTQIA+ youth.
He further revealed that he is teaming with Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Farrelly (Green Book) and Fisher Stevens to produce a documentary about his life, to be co-directed by Carlie Mantilla-Jordan and John Eliot Jordan.
Before the release of his first solo album, This Is Who I Am, in 2018, Atae rose to prominence in Japan as part of the pop group AAA. Together, they released seven albums that hit No. 1 on the Japanese charts and three No. 1 singles in their home region since their 2006 debut.
Read Atae's emotional post above.
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