Sam Smith: Please call me ‘they’
Bond theme singer’s request after ‘being at war with my gender’
POP star Sam Smith has asked his friends, family and fans to refer to him as ‘they’ after ‘a lifetime of being at war with my gender’.
The 27-year- old made the request in an extraordinarily candid social media post.
Smith wrote: ‘Today is a good day so here goes. 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.’
The singer admitted being ‘very nervous’ about going public, despite being ‘so excited and privsinger ileged to be surrounded by people that support me’.
Smith added: ‘I understand there will be many mistakes and misgendering but all I ask is you please, please try. I hope you can see me like I see myself now.’
The Bond theme singer continued: ‘I am at no stage just yet to eloquently speak at length about what it means to be non-binary but I can’t wait for the day that I am. So for now I just want to be visible and open.
‘If you have questions and are wondering what this all means I’ll try my best to explain.’ The pop star concluded with: ‘Love you all. I’m scared s***less, but feeling super free right now. Be kind.’
Smith’s decision to come out as ‘non-binary’ – meaning neither male nor female – follows an interview in March in which the said: ‘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?’ Smith also admitted that 2018 had been a year of ‘ups and downs’ after splitting from boyfriend Brandon Flynn after nine months.
The singer wore a pair of high heeled boots on the red carpet at GQ’s Men of the Year Awards last week. ‘There was a time where I thought I’d never ever ever be able to be myself like this in front of the industry or anyone,’ Smith wrote on Instagram afterwards.
‘It feels so good and I just wanted to share that with you all, and share a picture of my Gucci heels.’ Toryn Glavin, trans engagement manager at LGBT charity Stonewall, said yesterday: ‘ We’re delighted that Sam Smith feels able to speak openly about their gender identity, and their visibility will have a huge impact on many non-binary people.
‘Sadly we know that it is still far too hard for people to be open and accepted for who they are, and we will keep campaigning until every LGBT person is accepted without exception.’
Smith first rose to fame in 2012, featuring in a string of top ten tracks, before winning the 2014 Critics’ Choice Award at the Brits.
That year also brought four Grammy awards in the US, including Best New Artist. An Oscar followed in 2016 for Writing’s On The Wall, the theme to Bond film Spectre. j.ruby@dailymail.co.uk
‘I’ll try my best to explain’