When Janelle Monáe revealed she was non-binary in April 2022, the "Knives Out" star said she used "she/her" or "they" /they” pronoun, but the “pronoun” she really prefers is “freeassmuthaf*cka.” She's the first to admit that she's not an expert on the topic, but nonetheless, she's been using her platform to speak candidly about her gender identity. "I'm not an arrogant person who thinks he has all the answers," the Grammy-nominated musician explained during a Jan. 9 interview on SiriusXM 's The Jesse Caguer Show .
Still, Monet believes it's important to use her voice. reason? "I think it's just respecting your truth and your authenticity — whatever that looks like," she told Cagle. "For me, it's about making sure that I'm also saying to people, 'Look further into who you are.'" ... Allow yourself to discover something new about yourself. Open your mind to different possibilities. Listen - listen to people saying, 'Hey, this is who I am. This is how I feel from the inside out. "
She continued: "I think, for me, as we evolve as humans, as we learn more about gender, as we learn more about sexuality, all of this is Important. So I’m just keeping an open mind about it all.”
The host also cited Monáe's interview with The New Yorker, which was posted online on January 8. In it, she echoed the statement that she had "never been so arrogant to believe" she had "all the answers." Monáe doesn't expect others to be perfect either. "I'm not an opinionated person. If people say 'woman,' I don't mind," she explained to the magazine. "As long as I understand your intent, I'm going to be lenient in those areas. But I think it's good to continue to have conversations around gender norms and pronouns."
While many are referring to Monáe's announcement as her "coming out," she prefers the term "coming in." "You're letting people know who you are. You're giving them a unique opportunity to learn more about how you see yourself," she elaborated to The New Yorker . "For me, it's not a big statement. It's just, 'This is who I am.' "I don't think anyone is obligated to talk about their sexuality. For me, after having the necessary conversations with the people I love, and also feeling comfortable enough to let it permeate my writing and art, I know it's time."
Opening up more about her non-binary identity on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris in April 2022, Monáe said: "I don't think of myself as just a woman. I feel all my energy," he said, adding that "God is much bigger than pronouns." "If I come from God, I am everything. But I will always, always stand with women," she continued. "I will always stand with black women. But I just see all of who I am, beyond the binary."
