Janelle Monae, an American singer, rapper, and actress, has come out as non-binary on the Red Table Talk show.
Scroll on to find out more.
Now, the number of people identifying as non-binary has been rising steadily throughout the last few years.
Historically, people – transgender people included – are either male or female.
But recently, some are insisting that they don’t quite fit into the categories of ‘man’ or ‘woman’, or ‘male’ or ‘female’, and thus identify as ‘non-binary.’
‘Non-binary’ is the term used by people who don’t identify as male or female.
For a long time, we’ve lived in a world with people who identify themselves as either male or female…
The idea that there are only 2 genders is sometimes called a ‘gender binary,’ because binary means ‘having 2 parts.’
But now, as things are changing, people use ‘non-binary’ to describe genders that don’t fall into one of these 2 categories, male or female.
That isn’t all, either.
On top of people identifying as ‘non-binary,’ some people have been claiming that ‘male’ and ‘female’ are not the only genders out there.
Despite our physical anatomy…
They believe that there are over a hundred genders in which a person can identify.
The British broadcaster, BBC, came under fire for promoting such an “absurd” theory…
In 2019, the BBC told teachers who work with children aged between 9 and twelve that there are “100, if not more” gender identities.
While some praised their efforts of being inclusive…
Others were outraged by the concept and insisted that the claim of a hundred genders was actually disrespectful to trans people, and therefore, not inclusive.
Many are still set in the belief that there are only 2 genders.
Stephanie Davies-Arai, the founder of Transgender Trend, which represents parents concerned about the surge in the diagnosis of children as transgender, said: “This is made-up nonsense. People are free to identify as anything they like, but this does not change the reality that there are only 2 sexes.”
No matter what people believe, there’s no doubt that there’s an increasing fluidity when it comes to some people’s gender identity…
But in spite of the naysayers, non-binary is a valid gender.
And many people are turning to identify as such…
Including Janelle Monae, who, on a Red Table Talk episode, has come out as non-binary herself.
But, before we take a look at what Monae has had to say…
Let’s take a look at the list of celebrities who also identify as non-binary.
Demi Lovato.
Demi came out in 2021 on Instagram saying: “I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am and still am discovering,” as per Seventeen.
Sam Smith.
“I don’t know what the title would be, but I feel just as much a woman as I am man,” they said, as per the news outlet.
Ruby Rose.
The sensational Ruby Rose announced that they were gender fluid way back in 2014: “I am very gender fluid and feel more like I wake up everyday sort of gender-neutral,” they said, as per Seventeen.
Olly Alexander.
“I feel very non-binary, and you know, I identify as gay and queer and non-binary,” they said in 2016.
Miley Cyrus.
In a 2015 interview, the celeb said that they are gender fluid: “I’m just equal. I’m just even. It has nothing to do with any parts of me or how I dress or how I look. It’s literally just how I feel,” they said.
Bob The Drag Queen.
As per Popbuzz, the star tweeted “For the record I identify as Pansexual and non-binary,” in 2019.
Indya Moore.
“I’m non-binary, femme, Agender feels fitting too. My pronouns: they/them/theirs. I correct people often. At times they ignore me & I tolerate it to avoid conflict/irritation but it’s upsetting to feel like I’m ‘too much’ in a world that takes so much from trans people constantly,” they said in a tweet that has since been deleted.
This comes as they appeared on the season 5 premiere of The Red Table Talk and spoke about their gender identity.
In 2018, Jannelle was interviewed by Rolling Stone Magazine, as per TooFab, and had said that they were pansexual.
“Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women, I consider myself to be a free-a** motherf**ker,” they said.
“But then later I read about pansexuality and was like, ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with too.’ I’m open to learning more about who I am,” they continued.
And now, they’ve come out as non-binary, after years of supporting the community on social media.
“I’m nonbinary, so I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely,” they said.
“I feel all of my energy, I feel like God is so much bigger than the ‘he’ or the ‘she.’ And if I am from God, I am everything. I am everything. But I will always, always stand with women. I will always stand with Black women. But I just see everything that I am. Beyond the binary,” they continued.
“Somebody said, ‘If you don’t work out the things that you need to work out first before you share with the world, then you’ll be working it out with the world,’
“That’s what I didn’t want to do. So I thought I needed to have all my answers correct, I don’t want to say the wrong thing,” they finished.
We love you, Janelle!