When it comes to being open about gender and sexual identity, a lot has changed over the last decade. More and more, LGBTQ celebrities are publicly sharing how they identify, including those who are nonbinary, and it's a beautiful thing to see these stars living their lives as the truest version of themselves — especially as we see all the support their fans have given them on their journeys.
According to Trans Equality, to identify as nonbinary means that someone has an "experience of gender that is not simply male or female," and many nonbinary people choose to use the pronouns "they/them" instead of "he" or "she." Over the years, a number of celebrities have shared that they identify this way, including Demi Lovato, Sam Smith, and Halsey.
It's not always easy being so open about gender identity, but these stars are paving the way for others to become more comfortable talking about how they feel in their own skin.
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Demi Lovato
In a video shared in May 2021, Demi officially came out as nonbinary for the first time.
"Today is a day I'm so happy to share more of my life with you all," they wrote at the time. "I am proud to let you know that I identify as nonbinary & will officially be changing my pronouns to they/them moving forward."
That doesn't mean that the way she sees herself isn't evolving, though; in August 2022, Demi revealed that "she/her" pronouns currently feel more right while acknowledging that could change again.
"I’m such a fluid person when it comes to my gender, my sexuality, my music, my creativity," Demi said at the time.
Halsey
In March 2021, Halsey — who was expecting their first child — quietly updated their pronouns on social media, later explaining the change in an Instagram story.
"For those asking re: my updated IG bio, I am happy with either pronoun," Halsey wrote in the post, reported Billboard. "The inclusion of 'they' in addition to 'she' feels most authentic to me. If you know me at all, you know what it means to me to express this outwardly. Thanks for being the best."
Jonathan Van Ness
The Queer Eye star came out as nonbinary in 2019, sharing that their pronouns are they/he/she.
"Some days I feel like a man, but then other days I feel like a woman," they told Out at the time. "Any opportunity I have to break down stereotypes of the binary, I am down for it, I'm here for it. I think that a lot of times, gender is used to separate and divide. It's this social construct that I don't really feel like I fit into the way I used to."
Sam Smith
In 2019, singer Sam Smith said they felt a "little bit of a war going within my body and my mind" during an interview with Jameela Jamil, admitting that they "think like a woman" sometimes.
Sam said: "I'm not male or female. I think I flow somewhere in-between. It's all on the spectrum."
Courtney Stodden
Former Celebrity Big Brother star Courtney Stodden came out as nonbinary in April 2021, sharing that their pronouns are they/them and that their "spirit is fluid with a kaleidoscope of color." They admitted at the time that, in school, girls had never understood them.
Janelle Monáe
Since retweeting the hashtag "#IAmNonbinary" in 2020, Janelle Monáe has been open about their pronouns, which include "they/them" and "she/her."
"I think it’s all about just honoring your truth and your authenticity, and whatever that may look like," Janelle said in an interview on The Jess Cagle Show, later adding, “I think all of it, to me, is important as we evolve as humanity, as we understand more about gender, as we understand more about sexuality."
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Amandla Stenberg
Going all the way back to 2016, the Hate U Give star, who was 17 at the time, shared that their pronouns are "they/them" in a post on Tumblr.
"They/them makes me feel comfortable, but I know that the media and the general populace that follows me will critique it/not understand which makes me feel sad and almost more uncomfortable," they wrote at the time, admitting that they were still working through their feelings on the subject.
Nico Tortorella
Sharing a photo from the 2018 GLAAD Awards that has since been deleted on Instagram, Younger star Nico Tortorella shared that they'd been exploring their gender. "It's no secret that my sexuality has been ever-evolving, and quite recently my own gender identity and expression has been taking new flight," they wrote in their caption.
"I have started playing with using they/them pronouns for myself and for anyone I can when it's appropriate. We are ALL multidimensional, dynamic creatures and as much as I understand the spectrum, the less I believe in the binary of gender, the more liberated I myself am becoming."
Lachlan Watson
On the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Lachlan Watson played trans teen Theo Putnam, and though they used to identify as trans themselves, they told Refinery29 in 2019 that they are now nonbinary.
They said: "Noticing that cage I was putting myself in helped me get to the place where I am now: I'm nonbinary. I don't feel like those things should affect me. I don't want to steal from myself anymore for the sake of upholding this image."
Bex Taylor-Klaus
In 2018, Arrow and 13 Reasons Why star Bex Taylor-Klaus came out as "trans nonbinary" in a tweet, keeping their announcement pretty low-key.
"I came out as trans nonbinary in a room full of people today," they wrote. "Guess it's time for me to do that on here, too. Hi. I'm Bex, and the rumors are true. I'm v enby."
Sara Ramirez
In August 2020, Sara Ramirez — who is best known for playing Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy — shared that they were nonbinary a few years after coming out as bisexual, writing on Instagram: "In me is the capacity to be girlish boy/boyish girl/boyish boy/girlish girl/all/neither."
Ruby Rose
Batwoman and Orange Is the New Black star Ruby Rose identifies as "gender fluid," telling the Guardian that they are "very androgynous."
"For a long time, I thought there was something a bit wrong with me, or that I wasn't the gender I was meant to be," Ruby said. "It took years, but eventually, I came to a place where I went: 'OK, I think I'm just very androgynous and very in tune with the masculine energy.'"
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Asia Kate Dillon
Not only does Asia Kate Dillon play a nonbinary character on Billions, but that's also how they identify in real life — and as they told ABC News, playing that character is what helped them realize they are nonbinary, too.
"I did a little bit of research and discovered that female is an assigned sex and nonbinary is in reference to gender identity, and those are two different things," Asia Kate said. "It finally helped me put language to a feeling that I'd had my entire life."
Liv Hewson
Yellowjackets star Liv Hewson is also nonbinary — something they've been public about since they were 16.
"Me being more expressive with my pronouns, that's something that happens in very small steps," the actor told Gay Star News in 2019. "And that's okay. You know, I'm figuring it out and I'm happy that it's something I'm starting to feel more comfortable with now."
Emma Corrin
Emma Corrin, who played a young Princess Diana on The Crown, came out as nonbinary in 2021.
"I think visibility is key with these things," they said while talking to ITV Granada. "My journey has been a long one and has still got a long way to go. I think we are so used to defining ourselves. That's the way society works within these binaries and it's taken me a long time to realize that I exist somewhere in between and I'm still not sure where that is yet."
