Demi Lovato Announces They Are Non-Binary

In a conversation with writer and artist Alok Vaid-Menon, Lovato spoke about the process of realizing they are non-binary and announced they will now use they/them pronouns.

Singer and actor Demi Lovato announced they will now use they/them pronouns. | Instagram / @ddlovato
Singer and actor Demi Lovato announced they will now use they/them pronouns. | Instagram / @ddlovato

Demi Lovato announced Wednesday that they are non-binary and “it would mean the world” if people referred to them using they/them pronouns. 

Lovato said the announcement on social media and their new podcast comes after a year and a half of “healing and self-reflective work” and that they/them pronouns best represent their fluid gender expression. 

The two-time Grammy award-winning artist said that by coming out, they are prioritizing their well-being over their career for the first time in their life. 

“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 this or that, or even fans that wanted me to be the sexy, feminine pop star in the leotard and look a certain way,” Lovato said on the first episode of the podcast “4D with Demi Lovato.” 

They continued: “Now I just realize it’s so much more important to live your truth than to ever suppress yourself because that’s the type of stuff that happens when you do.”

Lovato featured writer and artist Alok Vaid-Menon on the podcast, where they discussed misconceptions of what it means to be gender non-binary. Together, they broke down the idea that someone’s physical appearance dictates their gender.

“Gender is about what we are on the inside, not necessarily what we express on the outside,” Alok said.

Lovato said there will be times that they “want to wear a full wig” or “dress completely femme-presenting,” but ultimately what they choose to wear doesn’t invalidate their experience as someone who identifies as gender non-binary.

“I want people to understand that just because I’m non-binary doesn’t mean I’m not going to dress the way I want,” Lovato said.

Alok also pushed back against “the prevailing idea” that identifying as non-binary is a trend created by Gen Z and millenials on social media.

“We’ve been here for thousands of years,” Alok said. “In many Indigenous cultures across the world, there’s a long spiritual recognition of people outside the Western gender binary.”

Lovato is a longtime LGBTQ+ rights activist. In 2016, Lovato and Nick Jonas canceled tour dates in Raleigh and Charlotte after then-Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC) signed a bill into law prohibiting people from using the bathroom of their gender.

“One of our goals for the tour has always been to create an atmosphere where every single attendee feels equal, included, and accepted for who they are,” the artists said at the time.

Lovato said they spent years conforming to gender expectations and trying to fit into the public’s perception of them as a “Disney pop star.”

“I was doing whatever I could to seek joy in other areas of my life but couldn't ever feel it until I started being myself,” Lovato said on their podcast. “I’m so free now.”