14 Non-Binary Celebrities Who Prove Gender Stereotypes Are a Thing of the Past

In 2019, “they” was named the word of the year by Merriam-Webster. And this happened for a reason. This personal pronoun has taken on a special meaning in recent years. Those who don’t identify themselves with the binary world of women and men use it for self-identification. These people are called non-binary. In the United States, about 11% of LGBTQ adults identify as non-binary in terms of gender.

At CHEERY, we decided to find out what celebrities identify as non-binary. Our list includes actors, singers and even TV presenters.

Demi Lovato

Last year, the singer came out as non-binary, and this summer Demi added “they/them” to their “she/her” pronouns. The celebrity explains this with her fluidity, “When I was faced with the choice of walking into a bathroom and it said ‘women’ and ‘men,’ I didn’t feel like there was a bathroom for me. I just felt like a human. Recently, I’ve been feeling more feminine, and so I’ve adopted ‘she/her’ again.” Currently, Demi’s Instagram page has a long chain of pronouns — they/them/she/her.

Emma Corrin

Celebrity Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana in the series The Crown, announced they were non-binary last year. Emma’s post about breast binding caused a huge reaction, with some of the comments not being very kind. But Corrin wasn’t offended. The actor believes that gender is not something “that feels fixed.”

Jonathan Van Ness

The Queer Eye star says he is non-binary and genderqueer. Even though Jonathan prefers to go by “he/him,” he doesn’t identify as a man. “The older I get, the more I think that I’m non-binary — I’m gender nonconforming. Like, some days I feel like a man, but then other days I feel like a woman. I think my energies are really all over the place.”

Nico Tortorella

Nico rose to prominence after starring in the series Younger, but has very little in common with their hyper-masculine character. In real life, the actor and their spouse identify as non-binary and use corresponding pronouns. “For me, ‘they/them’ fully encompasses all of it that exists in my own multi-dimensional dynamic being. Right? It just feels more inclusive. It feels wider.”

Lachlan Watson

Lachlan has explored their gender identity since the age of 13, and eventually identified as non-binary. Watson is 21 now, and they’ve already played queer characters in a few projects including the remake of the series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

After their attempt at gender transition and hormone therapy being canceled, Lachlan wants to be androgynous and live their life according to their own rules, “For me, being non-binary means that I believe the rules and the ‘logic’ behind specific gender roles have been man-made and I choose to live my life regardless of them!”

Brigette Lundy-Paine

Brigette rose to fame after playing Casey Gardner in the Netflix series Atypical. On November 8, 2019, the actor revealed on their Instagram that they are non-binary. “I’m non-binary, always felt a little bit boy, a little bit girl, a little bit neither. Scary to come out, but I feel I owe it to myself and to all of us who struggle with gender.”

Bex Taylor-Klaus

Bex came out as gay in 2016, and 2 years later, the star opened up that they were trans-non-binary. Taylor-Klaus almost always played queer characters on screen. Their most prominent projects are the superhero drama Arrow and the TV show Scream.

Dua Saleh

Dua played the role of a non-binary schoolkid in the series Sex Education. It was easy for them to play this character because Saleh identifies as non-binary in real life too. According to the actor, this helps them in their work. “I wouldn’t be as creative if I wasn’t non-binary, trans and queer. I think there’s a wealth of artistic knowledge and understanding that has historically been passed down from generations of queerness.”

Liv Hewson

Liv became popular after playing the daughter of Drew Barrymore’s character in the series Santa Clarita Diet. The show was canceled after 3 seasons, and the actor took on another project where they got an opportunity to play a non-binary character.

Hewson came out as non-binary gay at the age of 16. The actor opened up on the importance of representation. “That’s part of the reason why we tell stories in the first place, to articulate different human experiences and explore how different things feel and look.”

Hugh Sheridan

Australian actor Hugh Sheridan revealed that they are non-binary bisexual. However, Hugh is not fond of labeling, “I don’t accept a label because it limits me. If you want it; take it. I chose zero labels for no other reason except the exclusion, limitations, and separation, which I believe are all one, deep down. Be you. Be true. Be free.”

Asia Kate Dillon

Dillon has made history by playing the first non-binary role on American television in the series Billions. Asia was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress.

The work on the series helped Dillon identify, “When I got the script for Billions and the character that I play, said female and non-binary, a little light bulb went off in my head. I did a little bit of research and discovered that female is an assigned sex and non-binary is in reference to gender identity and those are 2 different things. It finally helped me put language to a feeling that I’d had my entire life.”

Lio Tipton

Lio Tipton, who is known for taking part in America’s Next Top Model and starring in the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love, came out as non-binary last year. And they did it at the most suitable moment, during Pride month. “I am proud to announce I am queer and I identify as non-binary. I hope to give as much love and support back to those who continue to show love and support for the Pride community at large.”

Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert came out as non-binary silently. The rapper just changed their Instagram bio and wrote the pronouns “they/them” on it. Their followers were very surprised and bombarded them with questions on Twitter. Uzi didn’t make any official statement about it, but they responded to rapper Yeat’s direct tweet “Yo they” with “Yo yeat.”

Halsey

Halsey identifies as non-binary and prefers to be referred as “she/they.” The singer decided not to do any more interviews after a journalist used the wrong pronouns in the article about them.

During their pregnancy, the celebrity thought that their feeling about their identity would change, but it turned out to be not that simple. “I thought pregnancy would give me very strong, binary feelings about womanhood, but truly, it has leveled my perception of gender entirely. My sensitivity to my body has made me hyper-aware of my humanness and that’s all.” Currently she asks to be referred to as “she/they.”

Do you agree that gender identity can change throughout our life? Share your opinion in the comments below.