By Christopher Laird
The Internet blew up this morning with the news that singer Sam Smith has come out as non-binary, though they did not specifically say so.
“I don’t know what the title would be, but I feel just as much woman as I am man.” – Sam Smith
The buzz stirred from an interview Smith gave to Louis Wise of The Sunday Times, where the singer was discussing how they presented more feminine when they were 17-years old. “People don’t know this, but when I was 17, I remember becoming obsessed with Boy George and Marilyn, and all that. There was one moment in my life where I didn’t own a piece of male clothing, really. I would wear full make-up every day in school, eyelashes, leggings with Dr. Martens and huge fur coats, for 2 ½ years,” Smith said in the interview.
Wise then asked Smith if they felt like a “Cis” man in the excerpt below (pronouns are quoted from the article):
Does he feel like a “cis” man? “No,” he scoffs. “I mean, I’ve got these tattoos on my fingers” — he flashes two delicately etched Venus symbols, one on each hand. “I don’t know what the title would be, but I feel just as much woman as I am man.”
Though it was clear from their statements that Smith may have a fluid view of their gender identity, they did not specifically say they were non-binary or genderqueer. They simply mentioned that they did not know what the title would be when defining themself. Smith has made no additional statements or confirmations regarding their identity since the interview was published.
Regardless of what Smith may or may not identify as, it’s nice to have an artist out there smashing the idea of the binary that the status quo is familiar with. So Sam, this writer wishes to say thank you for your bravery and keep being beautifully true to yourself.
