Sam smith, a famous singer, musician and songwriter, rose to fame in 2012 with the release of their debut single “Lay Me Down”. They’re well known for multiple hits in the music industry addressing themes of love, self-discovery and heartbreak, and is a strong supporter of LBTQ+ movement. Also, their bold fashion choices have grabbed a lot of attention which often challenge societal norms.
In 2019, Sam Smith came out as non-binary and gave up the pronouns of “he/him”. They chose their pronouns as “they/them” advocating better understanding of gender fluidity. Although they have been subjected to a lot of criticism and mixed views for their choices like the “satanic” performance at Grammys, a lot of people also came to defend the renowned singer’s orientation.
In a heartfelt post on Instagram, Sam expressed his difficulties and struggles with their gender but after acknowledging their non-binary gender, he is now content with living authentically. He says:
“After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out.”
Even after coming out as non-binary, Sam Smith’s pronouns are wrongly used quite frequently, even on television. Recently, while being interviewed by Lorraine Kelly on her ITV show, Sam Smith was misgendered multiple times. The Scottish TV presenter referred to Sam Smith by the pronouns “he/him” and suffered severe backlash and criticism. While talking about fashion at the premiere of “Barbie”, Kelly referred to Sam Smith’s gender as “he”.
On commenting about the iconic singer who wore an oversized black sweatshirt and large flared jeans, Kelly said, “Oh, he’s dressed down”. She added “It’s a bit big for him. If he was my son, I’d say, Son, that was a bit big for you. He looks like the wee shrinking man, bless him.”
Sam’s fans were quick to rush to social media to express their frustration. One user commented on X, formerly known as twitter:
“I guess Lorraine didn’t get the memo about Sam Smith and their chosen pronouns, awkward”
Another one said,
“People need to educate themselves about pronouns. Misgendering someone like Sam Smith repeatedly on national TV isn’t okay. Respecting someone’s identity is the bare minimum.”
despite her history of supporting LGBTQ+ movement. Following the severe backlash, Kelly turned to social media to acknowledge her mistake. She clarified that it was unintentional and she’ll be more responsible in the future.