Korea is not a country that is known to be open-minded, especially about things that are considered gay or trans related. Recently, Jo Kwon, member of the K-pop group 2am, shared images of himself in drag some of his fans responded with negative comments.
Kwon has been receiving a wave of negative comments regarding the promo images he has been sharing for his role as Adam in an upcoming Korean production of the musical ‘Priscilla’ (???: ????). In ‘Priscilla’ the character of Adam, who is homosexual, takes on a drag queen persona by the name of Felicia. And this role isn’t sitting well with conservative Koreans…
According to AllKPop.com, Kwon responded today to negative comments by releasing a statement on his social media that reads:
[quote]I know that there are a lot of misunderstandings and malicious comments toward the many pictures taken by the press. I am writing this to help people understand… You could think that it is just a gay show from the poster or pictures. However, our musical ‘Priscilla’ is not just a musical that portrays the homosexual and transgenders’ views, but also a sincere musical that portrays family, friendship, love, paternal love, and emotions…
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“I just want to show my abilities and talents, that I can work hard and well… It could still be seen with a negative view out of repulsion. That’s why I want to leap over my limits and wall more coolly and diligently…
“It is a bit hard because people only react to my job based on what they see, but I chose this road, so I am working hard to take responsibility by overcoming this. However, when I hear malicious comments or other bad things unintentionally, it does not work for me well on a mental level no matter how much I try…
“Come to see the performance personally. Do not think of anything at all, come to the venue with an easy heart, and I would like for us to appreciate what kind of production ‘Priscilla’ is together. This summer, I will take responsibility for ‘Priscilla…”[/quote]
He also added, “When it does not go the way I want, it is so hard. Just come watch. Stop criticizing.”
Stay strong Jo!
Here are the promo pics for the upcoming musical, which is debuted on July 3 in Seoul at the LG Arts Center and is scheduled to run through September 28:
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