Artists Music Facts

Sam Smith Wants To Be Referred To As “They”

It took some time for Oscar-winning singer Sam Smith to come out of his shell and admit he’s gay. The admission didn’t dent his popularity, and he is still one of the best loved artists. The “How Do You Sleep?” singer is again at the forefront of gender issues with his controversial Instagram post about gender neutrality – he has asked his fans to refer to him as “they” instead of “he” saying he is non-binary.

In his emotional Instagram post, he said: “I’ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM. After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out.” Reliable sources shared that it took a very long time for Smith to announce his decision because he was not sure how people will react.

He admits to being nervous about his announcement, adding, “I care too much about what people think but fuck it!” The singer is apparently done battling his gender issues, and just wants to open up and be accepted.

He said he is grateful to have found people who support his decisions on matters of gender.

He asked for understanding saying, “I understand there will be many mistakes and mis gendering but all I ask is you please please try. I hope you can see me like I see myself now.” He goes on to say, “So for now I just want to be VISIBLE and open.”

In a separate social media post, Smith also replied to James Barr’s tweet: “Just interviewed @samsmith and they sounded so happy and free and more themselves than ever. it’s made me feel like the world is a good place again.”

To this, Smith replied: “You’re one of the first people to use these pronouns with me. Thank you. That feels really beautiful.”

Smith still has reservations about answering questions on his non-binary gender. However, he has explained this a few months back in an interview with Jameela Jamil through the Instagram show “I Weigh Interviews”. He was quoted saying: “Non-binary/genderqueer is that you do not identify in a gender. You are a mixture of all different things. You are your own special creation. That’s how I take it — I am not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between — it’s all on the spectrum.”

He also talked about his battles with his gender ever since he was a child: ““Ever since I was a little boy, ever since I was a little human, I didn’t feel comfortable being a man really. Some days I’ve got my manly side and some days I’ve got my womanly side.” Smith ended his Instagram post with a message of love, adding: “I’m scared shitless, but feeling super free right now. Be kind.”