1. CCOPTER
Ccopter, or ‘Copter’ Panuwat, came out as non-binary in a series of tweets in 2022, to much support from fans and other artistes alike. In an interview with Teen Vogue in 2022, Ton, who rose to fame in boys-love series 2Moons the Series spoke of grappling the concepts of gender and sexuality for a while. These days, when the 27-year-old is not singing, he is busy running marathons or travelling.
2. BEN CHALATIT
Ben was one of the first few Thai artistes to publicly come out as gay in the early 2010s. Not only is he an icon in the gay community (and an amazing singer!), the 42-year-old has used his platform to advocate for good causes. In 2016, Ben, who is attached to his long-time partner, was appointed by the UN AIDS agency as its goodwill ambassador to Thailand.
3. SARAH SALOLA
If you have watched Sarah Salola’s music videos, the one thing you will notice – apart from her signature husky vocals – is the tasteful portrayal of lesbian relationships. In a world where representation matters, Sarah’s use of queer couples is worth praise. In a 2022 interview where she identified as queer, Sarah says she doesn’t really bother about how her sexuality affects her, adding: “I am being who I am. I never thought I could or could not do anything because I am LGBTQ+.”
4. MILLI
The rapper-singer disclosed on an episode of WoodyTalk earlier this year that she identified as bisexual. At the same interview, she acknowledges that her fandom comprised mainly women and the LGBTQ+ community.
5. TON THANASIT
Ton Thanasit, who won Academia Fantasia 8 in 2011, hopes to push ‘Queer Pop’ to the forefront. In a 2022 interview, the queer artiste says he wants “Queer Pop to be a subset of T-Pop”. Queer Pop, according to the 34-year-old, is not defined by its sound, but more its willingness to embrace – and present -diverse gender identities.
6. AOF PONGSAK
Y2K icon Aof came out as gay in 2013 – he actually first came out to Ben Chalatit, who was already openly gay, before publicly disclosing. Since then, the T-Pop veteran has not shied away from being loud and proud – you should check out his newest Pride Month single, which features drag royalty Pangina Heals.
7. APO DICE
It was when the marriage equality bill was passed earlier in the year that ‘Apo’ Wachirakon – fresh off his debut in boy group DICE – disclosed he was part of the LGBTQ community. “I am very very happy,” he says.
8. SILVY
The Thai-Italian singer, who once competed in the singing competition The Star, said in a Tatler Asia interview she began exploring her gender identity in 2021, after years of what she called “being put in a (girly girl) category”. Since then, she’s chopped off her once-long hair, and her music has gravitated towards topics like body positivity and more queer-adjacent topics. (Her latest single, IDGCHA, is such a bop!)
9. NINJA 4MIX
4MIX’s ‘Ninja’ has been open about her sexuality since debuting with the group, believing that one’s sexuality should not affect their work. In a post in 2021, Ninja, who does not label her gender identity, says the group sees her being in the LGBTQ+ community as a positive thing, because it makes the group stand out from the rest of the industry.
10. WAR WANARAT
‘War’ Waranat, who is another fixture in the boys-love genre, disclosed in an interview he was bisexual.
Editor’s note: The artistes listed here have publicly disclosed their sexual orientation in interviews or on social media. ChaPop understands one’s sexuality is a personal matter.
