Janelle Monáe
came out as non-binary during the latest
episode of Red Table Talk with Jaida Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and
Adrienne Banfield Norris.
The
36-year-old tweeted the hashtag “#IAmNonBinary” on 10 January 2020, though
later clarified that this was “in support of Non-Binary Day and to bring more
awareness to the community.”
“It resonated
with me, especially as someone who has pushed boundaries of gender since the
beginning of my career,” Monáe told The Cut at
the time. “I feel my feminine energy, my masculine energy, and energy I can’t
even explain.”
Now, during
the season five premiere of Red Table Talk, the musician has further clarified
how they identify.
“I’m
non-binary, so 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,’” they
said. “And if I am from God, I am everything. I am everything. But I will
always, always stand with women. I will always stand with Black women. But I
just see everything that I am. Beyond the binary.”
Monáe, who is
yet to clarify which pronouns they use, also discussed what it was like to come
from a “super conservative Baptist” background and described the coming out
process as very personal to them.
“Somebody
said, ‘If you don’t work out the things that you need to work out first before
you share with the world, then you’ll be working it out with the world’,” they
added.
“That’s what I
didn’t want to do. So I thought I needed to have all my answers correct, I
don’t want to say the wrong thing.
“And also I
hadn’t had the necessary conversations with my family. 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.”
Monáe has now
spoken to her family and clarified that they have all been incredibly
understanding of their identity.
“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,” they
explained. “But I knew that I couldn’t be Little Pumpkin. I couldn’t be little
Janelle.”
The star’s
appearance on Red Table Talk marks its first guest since the show’s hiatus came
to an end.
It is also the
first episode to be released since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars,
though due to the show being pre-taped, this was not discussed by the hosts.
You can watch
Monáe’s full episode below or by clicking
here
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