10 gender non-conforming artists who are breaking the binary

This Pride Month, we have a good time and recognize stars across the LGBQIA+ spectrum. While various actors often draw attention to gays, lesbians and transsexuals, people who don’t fit strict gender boundaries are often neglected, disregarded or just unrecognized.

In recent years, great strides have been made in recognizing and respecting non-binary people. A non-binary identity, also sometimes called genderqueer or gender non-conforming, implies that a person doesn’t see themselves solely as male or female. Some people feel they embody neither, while others feel they embody each.

According to a recent study found that roughly 5% of young adults in America (ages 18-30) now discover as a gender aside from the one they were assigned at birth – transgender or non-binary. 1.6% of the total population (including people outside the 18-30 age group) fall under this umbrella.

With the term “non-binary” and the concept of gender nonconformity emerging in the public consciousness in recent times, a few of our favourite stars of the big, small screen and music industry have revealed that they, too, have only recently stumbled upon this issue. the accepted end of the spectrum.

Whether they freely and definitively discover as non-binary or reject the idea of ​​gender identity altogether, these artists are redefining social norms by simply unapologetically being themselves.

Take a take a look at stars living beyond the boundaries of gender below.

01

Janelle Monáe

“I live outside the binary system. I feel my masculinity, my femininity and everything in between,” the singer, songwriter and actor told ESSENCE in September 2021, before formally confirming her non-binary identity in an episode of “. “A lot of who I am is centered around not letting anyone define me.” Monae has it went on record saying they use each they/them and he or she/her pronouns, but will happily reply to “slow motherfucker” too.

02

Let’s go

2021 was an enormous yr for Kehlani in affirming her LGBTQIA+ identity. At the starting of the yr, they revealed that they were a lesbian. But in a December 2021 interview Byrdie Magazinethe singer revealed that they don’t occupy a strict place in a historically feminine identity. While they do not mind using she/her pronouns, say they feel truly “seen” when others check with them using they/her pronouns. “When people say ‘they,’ there’s something really affirming,” Kehlani added.

03

Moore’s India

The star identifies as each trans-femme and non-binary. While they consider her pronouns are acceptable in some situations, they’ve turn into infamous for establishing a “gender jar” inside their management agency CAA, blaming company officials each time they made a mistake. “I thought it was a great way to hold people accountable,” they said Hollywood reporter in 2019 “The more you misjudge people, the more you have to spend.” The money was to be donated to organizations working for black transgender people and other people of the opposite sex.

04

Syd

For Syd, gender roles and expression are secondary. In particular, she was not a conformist of traditional “feminine” gender expression, but noted early in her profession that she didn’t necessarily like being classified as a lesbian. “If you think I’m a young boy singing these songs, that’s great. “Run with it,” she said New York Times in 2016.

05

Young M.A

Rather than place reservations and distinctions on labels, the masculinity-presenting New York rapper prefers to drop them altogether. In a 2019 interview, the rapper expressed her disinterest in being put right into a box based on her gender or sexuality. “As a child, I always wanted to do things differently than what society teaches us – I still don’t want to label myself as ‘girl/boy’ because we don’t know if a girl should be like that or if that’s what a boy should be like. For example: who is saying this?” Although she is just serious about dating women, the rapper wouldn’t even describe herself as a lesbian. “I’m just a young master’s student,” she emphasized.

06

Great Freedia

The Reflection Queen is unapologetically herself (or herself, depending on the day). Freedia uses the pronouns she/her and he/him interchangeably and confidently bends gender in either direction. As she wrote in Root in 2020 I don’t conform to gender, I’m fluid and non-binary. If I had known that the ‘queen’ in Queen Diva would cause a lot fuss, I may need called myself king!”

07

Stenberg power

The actor opened up about his gender identity on Tumblr in 2016, when he was just 17 years old. While talking to People in 2017 made it clear that they saw little use for gender identity expressed in modern society. “I don’t necessarily always prescribe feminine pronouns just because I don’t think those pronouns necessarily have a lot of meaning.”

08

Princess Nokia

The New York-born hip-hop phenom made waves along with his breakout single “Tomboy” in 2017 and his more masculine delivery style. However, in recent times, Princess Nokia has swung the pendulum of her style towards sensual and traditionally feminine. “I am an androgynous gender non-conforming person,” she said Playboy in 2019. “I feel different every day. Every day it’s either masc or femme or in between.”

09

Shea Couleé

The star revealed her non-binary identity ONI magazine in 2019, stating that performing in drag helped them discover who they really were. “It was through drag that I really started to understand that I have feelings that don’t necessarily lean towards what is considered stereotypically masculine, but I also have feelings that are largely what some people might consider masculine.”

(*10*)

10

Angel Haze

The rapper, singer and painter explained that she considers herself an older person who doesn’t discover with either a male or female identity. “I don’t let gender guide or manipulate anything I’m interested in,” she said CBS Philadelphia in 2015. But she’s not the type to deal with pronouns. “I do not care what people call me. If they wanted to make use of the word ‘he’ throughout the article, I’d not comply with it.”