Union J
This article or section needs expansion. |
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Union J |
| Abbreviation(s): | UJ |
| Creator: | The X Factor, Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh |
| Date(s): | 2012–2018 |
| Medium: | Boy band |
| Country of Origin: | UK |
| External Links: | unionjofficial.com (offline, archived) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Union J was a British boy band active from 2012 - 2018. The band was formed on The X Factor in Series 9 when Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, two of the judges, added popular solo auditionee George Shelley to auditioning boy band Triple J, consisting of Josh Cuthbert, Jaymi Hensley, and JJ Hamblett. In 2016, following the departure of George Shelley, Union J took on Casey Cody Johnson from Stereo Kicks as a temporary fourth band member.
Significance in Gay History
Union J is significant for having the first out gay boy band member while their band was still performing, as Jaymi Hensley came out only a few weeks into the band's term on The X Factor in 2012. This posed a risk to their careers at the time because The X Factor relied heavily on achieving the over-60 votes in more conservative areas of the UK to stay in the competition, but Union J managed to achieve positive press from Jaymi's coming out and they remained in the competition long enough to get 4th place. After leaving the band, in 2016, George Shelley also came out, first as bisexual, then later as gay.
In Fandom
Union J fans were called Jcats. Band member George Shelley, an aspiring designer before The X Factor, designed a fan logo for the Jcats, but was cyberbullied for it by fans of fellow X Factor groups District3 and Only The Young, as well as One Direction fans.
George Shelley
George was far and away the most popular member of the group both within fandom and with the general public. He was the group's youngest member, entering Union J at age 19, shortly after his 19th birthday. The first George Shelley fanfiction was posted on the night of his The X Factor audition, "Let You Put Your Hands On Me In My Skin-Tight Jeans" by aimmyarrowshigh and spibsy[1]. The first pairing for George was a crossover with One Direction, pairing him with Harry Styles.
Because Sheyles should really be a ship that people love because it's cute and fluffy and doesn't exist and is cute. And that's what shipping is for. If you don't know who George Shelley is, he tried out for this year's X-Factor and made it to boot camp (so far), and we have no idea if he will ever be on TV again. And he was on for about two minutes in the first place. So yes, we just stayed up for about 10 hours writing 11k of porn about someone who may never actually be seen again as a public figure? But his face is a perfect little cuppycake of sexually confusing preciousness and he had to be paired with Harry, it was a thing.
Please don't read this if you are, or know, George Shelley. Just. Putting that out there in case he never becomes a famous X-Factor person. Just in case. If you're him or related to him or know him, don't read this. And don't read this if he doesn't become a popstar and you're his future corporate employer or something, because he had nothing to do with it.[2]
Jaymi Hensley
JJ Hamblett
Josh Cuthbert
Casey Cody Johnson
See Stereo Kicks.
References
Archives & Resources
- Union J (Band) tag on the Ao3
- Union J on FF.net
- Wikipedia:Union J