British Oli London, who became an internet sensation for undergoing multiple plastic surgeries to look like K-pop idol group BTS’ Jimin, has come out as non-binary and prefers to be called “they, them, Korean, Jimin” as pronouns.
Oli London revealed the new identity in a YouTube video and revealed that they had a total of 18 plastic surgeries in the last eight years. Oli London looked swollen in the video, saying they had just had several plastic surgeries.
“Hey guys I just want to take this chance to come out today. Something that's been like on my mind for a long time and I've been very confused about how I identify. I've been very very confused about how I identify. I’ve been very, very confused,” said Oli London.
They added, “And you know I've seen a lot of other people online that have come out and been very brave about it and shared their story about how they identify, their gender, their pronouns etc.”
“So I am gonna come out today and say that I’ve been transitioning. I've been very unhappy with who I am deep down for the last eight years and I've had like 18 plastic surgeries now and I've just had a face lift, a brow lift, temple lift, an eye surgery canthoplasty, and my teeth in as well,” they said.
Oli London added, “Just these are just part of my transition. I'm feeling really good. I'm for the first time in my life, I feel beautiful, you know I'm looking in the mirror that I love the way I look and I feel happy. And I hope people can respect my decision. it's very tough decision to come out this way but I'm coming out as non-binary and I don’t feel like I identify as male or female. I just feel like I’m just in the middle.”
They said that they identify as Korean more and not as British.
“And my pronouns are they, them, Korean, Jimin because I know a lot of people do understand me but I do identify as Korean, and I do look Korean now and I do feel Korean. I don't identify as British so please don't refer to me in any media or anyone online as British because I identify as Korean. That's just my culture, that's my home country. That's exactly how I look now and I also identify as Jimin. That’s my Korean name,” they said.
According to GLAAD, non-binary and genderqueer are “terms used by some people who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the categories of man and woman. They may define their gender as falling somewhere in between man and woman or they may define it as wholly different from these terms. The term is not a synonym for transgender or transsexual and should only be used if someone self-identifies as non-binary and/or genderqueer.”
Oli London said, “Not only that. I know it's a little bit confusing for some people. Nobody has come out as Jimin or Korean but this is something that you guys know if you follow my journey for the last eight years. I really struggled with identity issues, with who I am. It’s a very tough one. I finally had the courage of undergoing my racial transitional surgery. I’ve transitioned to a non-binary person: they, them, Korean, Jimin. I finally had the Korean look.”
“I've been very trapped in my body for so long and you know, I identify with the Korean culture. I've lived in Korea, I speak the language. I have the Korean look now. I look completely Korean. If you didn't know who I was you would just think I was a Korean person, not a man or woman, just a person,” they said.
On Twitter, Oli London uploaded their version of the Korean flag, saying, “This is my new official flag for being a non-binary person who identifies as Korean. Thank you for the overwhelming support it was so hard for me to come out as Them/they/kor/ean #olilodon #nonbinary.”
Oli London said that in the past eight years, they have been bullied online about looks, love of Jimin and love of Korea.
“I think it's a very beautiful thing that in 2021 we can all have these these different identities and we can love different people freely but it's not the same in every country so I just wanna say some of my fans are in countries where it's not possible to come out as non-binary or to be themselves,” they said.
They added, “I just want to say, please have strength please have courage. One day your time will come. You'll be up to freely express yourself and I will always try my best to give you guys a voice, give you guys a platform and be a champion for the non-binary community.”