Janelle Monae comes out as non-binary
JANELLE Monae has come out as non-binary.
The 36-year-old actress-and-singer – who identifies as queer and came out as pansexual in 2018 – no longer sees herself as a woman and feels she is far greater than “the binary”.
Appearing on Thursday’s episode of
Red Table Talk, she said: “I just don’t see myself as a woman solely. 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.”
The Moonlight and Hidden Figures star insisted she will “always, always stand with women” and “always stand with black women, but I just see everything that I am, beyond the binary”.
She said it was necessary for her to be open and honest with her family about her personal life and she is thankful for their support.
“I wasn’t ready to have my family question my personal life or get calls from people who still look at me as Little Pumpkin – that’s what they call me back home.
“I needed to talk to my dad, who was just great. My sister knew already because I’ve been in monogamous relationships; I’ve been in polyamorous relationships. But I knew that I couldn’t be Little Pumpkin. I couldn’t be little Janelle.”
In 2020, Monae revealed she is always “uncovering” more about her sexuality.
Asked what being queer means to her, she said: “It means different. It means unafraid to try new things. I’m always learning more about who I am, and uncovering more and more about sexuality.
“For me, it’s a journey, not a destination, as I gather more information about who I like. I’m a lot more open than in high school. I didn’t know myself then and had to meet more people, connect with spirits. I think that word gives me room to grow.”
Monae admitted her sexuality left her feeling like an “outsider” because she grew up as “a Baptist kid in a very small, Republican state” in the US.
She added: “There was no one I could talk to about that. You do feel like an outsider. You feel, oh my goodness, I don’t know how I even have this conversation with my loved ones when all I’m hearing every Sunday is: if you are not heterosexual, you’re going to hell.
“And people using the Bible as a whip. I spent years unlearning that conditioning.”
A representative for the star confirmed to Rolling Stone that she will still go by the pronouns she/her.