TW. i want to address an issue that's resurfaced a bit. in september i wrote a piece about suga that made casual mention of how people perceive other members of BTS. in it i wrote a description of jimin that was not appropriate. i apologized at the time: https://twitter.com/elliotsang/status/1169638276371816448?s=20

when i look back on this apology, though, i realize it was meh. as i've become more aware of ARMY and BTS and the dynamics surrounding them, i have a better understanding now of the reality that i wrote something wrong. what i did was wrong, and i must say again, i am sorry.

i didn't realize it then, but the reality is that jimin is one of the most underappreciated, dismissed, misunderstood artists in the world. his status as a vocalist who is considered "effeminate" and "cute" is used to mock him with a racist, sexist, and overall spiteful bent.

my original line about him being someone "everyone wants to fuck" *was,* in my mind, a kind of humorous compliment to his looks. when this line was criticized, i assumed it was for the crassness, the sexualization of him, and changed to a description that was still unsuitable.

i had been ignorant to the ways in which orientalist patriarchal views of BTS and particularly jimin made even these apparent compliments work as doublespeak that actually negated his importance and his fullness as an artist. for this, i did him and his supporters a disservice.

when we learn about BTS, we learn about jimin through stereotypical ideas of him being "soft" or "mentally unhealthy"--"matriarchal", "pretty", even "gay". even if, and i mean If, these descriptions befit him, they do not encompass him and they are often used to tear him down.

this even applies to many ARMYs--we see poorly made intro videos, thoughtless comments and memes, and more from ppl within the fandom. and though many ARMYs, like i, do not *intend* to detract from jimin, our intentions are irrelevant relative to the subtextual damage we do.

as a writer who took up the incredibly important task of writing about BTS, perhaps the most crucial asian musical act in modern history, i must take accountability for my missteps. i made some in the past, and i will probably make more, but i will never stop trying my best.

because of this, i rely on ARMYs, as well as related experts on these matters, to check me when i'm wrong. and i have no business asking them to check me "politely" or "patiently". people have a right to express their concerns how they see fit, and if i'm wrong, i'm wrong.

i have done my best since to say nothing but accurate, thoughtful things about jimin or related to jimin and will continue to do so moving forward. i am thankful for this opportunity to be wrong so that perhaps my example can teach others how to properly address this issue.

as i've said earlier tonight, ARMY is one of the most powerful and important groups on earth. we must be careful to use that power in ways that do not negatively affect any of BTS' members, and remain cautious of how each member may be particularly and/or especially harmed.

i will not run from my mistakes and i will not run from talking about jimin. if i were to ignore him and his contributions simply out of fear that people will criticize or unfairly attack me, i would, as someone who discusses BTS with a platform, be doing a disservice to him.

but simultaneously, i will also remain mindful of the fact that i've messed up before when talking about him. i hope not to mess up again, but if i do, i'll do my best to learn and grow as i hope you'll see that i've done since this past mistake.

i tried to address this and do the right thing before, i truly did--but i was still ignorant and lacking in full accountability of my mistakes. and i'm subject to do those things again, because i'm growing and learning every day. i hope this thread helps counteract my mistakes.

lastly, i wish to continue to encourage more ARMYs to write about BTS, so that, instead of seeing others make the same mistakes i've made, but with relative impunity, we can platform and empower writers who are better suited than i was to cover these subjects.

thank you