"Every day we wake up, we are given another opportunity and chance to be who we want and wish to be."
Singer Demi Lovato has shared on social media that they are non-binary.
Posting to Instagram, Lovato shared to their 104 million followers that they'd like to use the pronouns they or them moving forwards.
On the announcement, the 28-year-old said that it's the best way to show the ‘fluidity [they] feel in [their] gender expression, and allows [them] to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am and still am discovering’.
Known for their hits Cool For The Summer and Heart Attack, Demi is also a former Disney star, fronting the cast for Camp Rock back in 2008.
The news comes two months after Demi shared that they were pansexual.
Their Instagram caption read: "Every day we wake up, we are given another opportunity and chance to be who we want and wish to be. I’ve spent the majority of my life growing in front of all of you… you’ve seen the good, the bad, and everything in between. Not only has my life been a journey for myself, I was also living for those on the other side of the cameras."
"Today is a day I’m so happy to share more of my life with you all – I am proud to let you know that I identify as non-binary and will officially be changing my pronouns to they/them moving forward 💖 This has come after a lot of healing and self-reflective work. I’m still learning and coming into myself, and I don’t claim to be an expert or a spokesperson."
Continuing, they said: "Sharing this with you now opens another level of vulnerability for me. I’m doing this for those out there that haven’t been able to share who they truly are with their loved ones. Please keep living in your truths and know I am sending so much love your way."
The clip was released as a teaser for their new podcast, which is set to be called 4D and is being produced by OBB Sound.
Demi went on to share: "Over the past year and a half, I’ve been doing some healing and self-reflective work. And through this work I have had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I’ll officially be changing my pronouns to they/them. I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression, and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am and still am discovering."
They added: "I want to make it clear that I am still learning and coming into myself. I don’t claim to be an expert or a spokesperson."
Both fans and those who know Demi were quick to congratulate them on the move. DJ Kittens commented on the post: "So proud of youuu," with thousands of others echoing the same sentiment.
Demi has further explored the topic of their gender in a discussion with non-binary writer Alok Vaid-Menon.
Demi said to Alok: "In 2018, when I overdosed, I feel like the reason why that happened was because I was ignoring my truth, and I was suppressing who I really am in order to please stylists or team members or even fans that wanted me to be the sexy feminine popstar in a leotard and look a certain way, I thought that was what I was supposed to be. ‘Now I realise it’s so much more important to live your truth than to ever suppress yourself because that’s the kind of stuff that happens when you do."
They went on to add: "I fully believe that gender is just another boundary that separates humanity from divine wisdom."
Alok continued: "Gender is not about our appearance, it’s about who we are."
Discussing the issue of pronouns, Demi shared that being addressed as they or them would 'mean the world.'
"To me, it would mean the world if people could start identifying me as they/them. I will also be accepting if people slip and say her/she, because I know being in my position, it’s going to take a while for people to get used to. I just want them to be making the effort."
Explaining their stance, they said: "I think it’s important because I want to use these pronouns to feel right to me; I also just don’t want people to be so afraid of messing up that they don’t try to use them."
