Famed singer, Sam Smith, has publicly announced that he is no longer conforming to the traditional binary gender pronouns of ‘he’ and ‘she’ but instead wishes to be referred to as ‘they/them.’
Taking to Twitter, the 27-year-old artist, whose most famous singles include ‘How Do You Sleep?’ and ‘Stay With Me,’ said that, “after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out.’ He then posted an image that reads ‘my pronouns are they/them.’
— Sam Smith (@samsmith) 13 September 2019
— Sam Smith (@samsmith) 13 September 2019
In an interview with actress Jameela Jamil back in March, Smith suggested that they do not identify as a male or female. At the time, the Oscar-winning singer revealed that, “you are just you. You are a mixture of all different things. You are your own special creation. That's how I take it.
"I'm not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between.”
“I've always had a little bit of a war going within my body and my mind. I do think like a woman sometimes, in my head. Sometimes I've questioned 'Do I want a sex change?’ It's something I still think about, like, 'Do I want to?’” The singer added.
Many so-called ‘non-binary’ people do not self-identify as male or female, but rather call themselves ‘they’ or ‘them’ rejecting what are seen as the socially conventionalist labels of ‘he’ and ‘she.’
Some came out in praise of Smith’s move.
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) 13 September 2019
— Ashley Finesilver (@IAmFinesilver) September 13, 2019
— KIRA (@kirakosarin) September 13, 2019
Good for you. Live your truth.
— Gareth L Powell (@garethlpowell) September 13, 2019
Others however, such as television presenter Piers Morgan, were slightly more critical.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) 13 September 2019
— Adam Tinton (@Adam_Tinton) 13 September 2019
— Rubio (@AnthonyRubio5) 13 September 2019
— Paul Wells (@PaulWells65) 13 September 2019
— Alistair (@alinaroo92) 14 September 2019