YouTube | SamSmithWorldVEVO

5+ Celebs Who Became More Popular After Revealing Their Gender Identity

It has only really come around in recent years, but a lot of celebrities are realizing their true gender identities these days.

And, usually, once they reveal their true identities, they tend to get some attention from the media. Mostly people congratulating them, other times its jerks being jerks.

Don't worry, we'll be on the congratulatory side.

1. Janelle Monáe

A24

Janelle Monáe is one of this generation's most influential actresses and singers, heck, entertainers in general.

Not only because Monáe has starred in some pretty darn influential movies, like Hidden Figures and Moonlight...

But Monáe also recently came out as non-binary.

Monáe tweeted this picture out in January, confirming that Monáe was in fact non-binary. No word on what Janelle uses for pronouns, but we're eagerly awaiting that info!

Let us know, Janelle! We're excited!

2. Sam Smith

Wikimedia

They are one of the best singers of all time.

Seriously, "Stay With Me" makes us cry every time we hear it. So we were delighted to hear that Sam had finally won their battle with themselves.

The Grammy Award winning artist has come out as genderqueer.

Instagram | @samsmith

Saying:

"After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out. I'm so excited and privileged to be surrounded by people that support me in this decision but I've been very nervous about announcing this because I care too much about what people think but [expletative] it!"

3. Brigette Lundy-Paine

Instagram | @briiiiiiiiiig

Brigette Lundy-Paine.

You may know them from the Netflix series Atypical, you may know them from the incredibly dramatic and moving: The Glass Castle, but no matter how you know them, you know them.

Recently, they came out with their true gender identity.

Instagram | @briiiiiiiiiig

Like other celebrities before them, they on November 2019 they decided they were going to use the pronouns "them/they", and were henceforth going to be known as non-binary.

In their own words:

"I'm non-binary, always felt a lil bit boy, lil bit girl, lil bit neither. using they/them as of late n it feels right."

"scary af to come out n been rly putting this off. But I feel I owe it to myself and to all of us who struggle w gender. If you're NB comment and celebrate yourself! u r beautiful and u r whole."

4. Jonathan Van Ness

Netflix

One of the greatest crusaders for LGBTQ rights, Van Ness has been at the forefront of the movement since the beginning.

Van Ness really got into people's faces, however, when Queer Eye was rebooted in 2018.

And since the premiere...

Instagram | @jvn

Johnathan has been rocking some daring outfits on the red carpet, drawing all eyes to the person who is, in Van Ness' own words: "gender nonconforming".

Or, in his actual words:

"I'm gender nonconforming. Like, some days I feel like a man, but then other days I feel like a woman."

Netflix | @jvn

But there's more:

"I think that a lot of times gender is used to separate and divide. It's this social construct that I don't really feel like I fit into the way I used to."

5. Amandla Stenberg

Instagram | @amandlasponsored

They first broke out as Rue in The Hunger Games, and now the gay actor has even more to show the world about themselves.

Or, at least they have already shared it.

They came out as non-binary a couple of years ago...

Instagram | @amandlasponsored

And when they were criticized for using non-binary pronouns, she said:

"I'm allowed to explore myself and how I see myself in the world however the [expletive] I want,"

They later rescinded that statement, wondering if it was appropriate for them to use non-binary pronouns.

6. Ruby Rose

Their short film about gender fluidity broke the internet a couple of years ago, and they have been a huge part of the movement ever since

They said about their own experience:

"I feel like I'm a boy, but I don't feel like I should've been born with different parts of my body or anything like that."

Instagram | @rubyrose

"I feel like it's just all in how I dress and how I talk and how I look and feel, and that makes me happy... I really sit in a more neutral place, which I'm grateful for as well."