Japanese music group XG’s Cocona comes out as transmasc non-binary

Japanese group XG member Cocona has come out as transmasculine non-binary and revealed that they underwent top surgery early this year.

In a birthday Instagram post uploaded by XG’s official account on December 6, Cocona said: “I am AFAB (assigned female at birth) transmasculine non-binary.”

“I was born and perceived as female, but that label never represented who I truly am. I live in a way that feels more masculine and true to who I am,” Cocona, who recently turned 20 years old, added.

The post included several photos of Cocona wearing a black blazer, with their top surgery scars partially visible underneath.

Several messages of support quickly poured in after Cocona’s announcement. One of them came from Simon Jakops, the CEO of XG’s entertainment company, XGALX, as well as the group’s executive producer.

“Today, as COCONA bravely shared their truth with the world, I am filled with deep emotion and respect,” he said in an Instagram post originally written in Japanese.

“I will continue to offer sincere support so that each member is respected not only as a performing artist but also as a human being who can love their own life.”

Cocona’s fellow XG member, Hinata, also expressed her support in a blog post on the group’s official fanclub app ALPHAZ, saying, “For us, COCONA is still COCONA, nothing has changed.”

“You are just our beloved COCONA, that’s all. And it’s the same for the rest of the members too,” she added.

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Support for Cocona

Based in South Korea, XG debuted in March 2022 with their first single, ‘Tippy Toes’. The group’s other members are Chisa, Harvey, Jurin, Juria and Maya.

Among XG’s popular tracks are LEFT RIGHT and WOKE UP.

‘There’s nothing wrong with who I am inside’: Cocona

Sharing more about his journey, Cocona confessed that the hardest thing he faced was “accepting and embracing” himself.

“But as I slowly began to do that, I was able to open a new door,” they wrote.

“The moment changed the way I see and understand the world, and it gave me the courage and strength to grow.”

“Now, I can finally say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with who I am inside’.”

Cocona thanked his parents, his fellow XG members and Jakops, describing them as “the people who listened and stood by me.”

In his message via the ALPHAZ app, Cocona said they prefer pronouns they/them and he/him when referring to them in English.

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What is transmasculine and non-binary?

While many people online received Cocona’s coming out positively, there were still some who questioned whether the labels he used were even valid and could be applied simultaneously.

The quick answer is yes, Cocona’s chosen identity is more than valid and possible.

The long answer, however, requires some knowledge about SOGIE or sex, orientation, gender identity, and expression.

Sexual orientation is the “enduring pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions to men, women or both sexes,” according to the American Psychological Association. To put it simply, this refers to whether you are straight, gay or if you “swing both ways.”

When Cocona mentioned the acronym AFAB, or assigned female at birth, they were referring to their biological sex as defined by their physiological features, such as their X and Y chromosomes and their genitalia.

Gender identity, meanwhile, is an individual’s perception and personal experience of their own gender as a man, woman, or otherwise that may not correspond to their biological sex.

In Cocona’s case, while their biological sex is female, they chose to identify as non-binary. This means they are neither male nor female, as those terms do not accurately describe who they are or what they feel.

Apart from non-binary, others may also identify as transgender, genderqueer or genderfluid, among other identities. However, if a person’s gender identity matches their sex, then that means they are cis or cisgender.

Gender expression, as the term suggests, refers to how a person chooses to express themselves, whether it be masculinely, femininely or androgynously.

Often confused with transgender, transmasculine is more about transitioning to a masculine way of expression, but does not necessarily mean that a transmasc person identifies as male.

However, GenderGP stressed that transmasculine does not have a fixed definition and is also an umbrella term that generally, but not exclusively, describes a transgender person.

A transmasc individual may identify as male or non-binary – like Cocona, and they may choose to medically or socially transition, or neither. Cocona did both, as evidenced by their top surgery and the pronouns they chose.

Returning to the question: yes, Cocona can be transmasculine and non-binary at the same time, as the former is their gender expression, while the latter is their gender identity.

SOGIE is not black and white – it is a complex spectrum, and is admittedly confusing, even for those part of the LGBTQ+ community.

However, one must remember that a person’s SOGIE is important and can only be defined by the individual themselves. Whatever their SOGIE may be, it is valid and must always be treated with utmost respect and acceptance.

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