In 2019, Sam Smith announced they were ending their war with gender and embracing the pronouns they\/them. Despite the bold public declaration, the \u201cMan I Am\u201d singer is still routinely misgendered, and referred to as \u201cthat fella.\u201d<\/p>\n
In September 2021, Sam Smith, the 33-year-old Grammy-winning British singer-songwriter known for hits like \u201cStay with Me,\u201d announced that they would use they\/them pronouns, calling it a personal milestone in a journey of self-acceptance.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is a good day so here goes,\u201d Smith wrote in a public statement on X. \u201cI\u2019ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY\/THEM. after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I\u2019ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cI understand there will be many mistakes and misgendering but all I ask is you please please try. I hope you can see me like I see myself now. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018His outfits\u2019
\nSince that announcement, misgendering incidents have remained frequent \u2013 and often public.<\/p>\n
At the Grammy Awards, a reporter with the Associated Press incorrectly referred to the Oscar-winning artist using male pronouns while discussing their fashion evolution.<\/p>\n
\u201cSam Smith has had a lot of controversy around his outfits this past year, I love that he\u2019s continuing to push the mold, love that he\u2019s continuing to break out from the Sam Smith that we knew at the ballads,\u201d the reporter said, per the Independent. \u201cHe\u2019s still singing those ballads, but he\u2019s definitely diving fully in, into pop music, and we can see that, not only in his music but also in his looks as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Ridiculous\u2019
\nThen, on ITV\u2019s This Morning, 74-year-old Bob Geldof was slammed for repeatedly referring to the non-binary singer as \u201che,\u201d instead of their chosen pronouns, prompting backlash from viewers.<\/p>\n
Former hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield did not correct the error during the broadcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cHolly and Phil should have pulled him up on that. Ridiculous,\u201d one person fired, per the Mirror.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s on national TV and speaking about Sam Smith. You\u2019d think someone would brief him on Sam\u2019s gender identity or at least correct him. Painful watch,\u201d another shared.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, another said: \u201cGive all those \u2018Best Male\u2019 awards you won and [profited] from back and we will talk, Sam.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018That fella\u2019
\nMore recently, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has come under fire for misgendering Smith during a segment on her talk show. While discussing the singer\u2019s red-carpet appearance at the Barbie movie premiere with guest Vogue Williams, Kelly referred to Smith multiple times using male pronouns.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit big for him,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIf he was my son, I\u2019d be saying, \u2018Son, that\u2019s too big for you\u2019\u2026 He\u2019s going to stand out. He knows what he\u2019s doing, does that fella.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams, in contrast, used Smith\u2019s correct pronouns, stating that they would \u201ccertainly stand out on the red carpet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018He\u2019s a bloke\u2019
\nFans online reacted quickly, criticizing Kelly for disregarding Smith\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot Lorraine misgendering Sam Smith over and over!!\u201d one user wrote, as reported by The Independent. Another added: \u201cI guess Lorraine didn\u2019t get the memo about Sam Smith and their chosen pronouns, awkward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others, however, said \u201c[Kelly] fell into the trap of thinking he\u2019s a bloke because he is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you misgender someone that is obviously a man?\u201d a second tweeted.<\/p>\n
A third joked, \u201cWhat a bigot, she knows they are not a he but a chubby them or they\u2026I forgot what we were talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Everyone messes up\u2019
\nIn a conversation with Apple Music\u2019s Zane Lowe, Smith explained what the pronoun change has meant for them. \u201cSince changing my pronouns, it felt like a coming home,\u201d they said, according to the Independent. \u201cI wish I knew what the words were when I was in school, because I would\u2019ve identified as that in school. Because it is who I am and it\u2019s who I\u2019ve always been.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acknowledging the complexity of adjusting language habits, both for others and for themselves, they added: \u201cWhat\u2019s hard is people changing their vocabulary; that\u2019s very, very difficult. It takes time. Everyone messes up. I\u2019m going to be misgendered to the day I die.\u201d<\/p>\n
They added, \u201cThis is all about feeling safe, and it makes me feel happy and it makes me feel comfortable. And if I get to live a life where I\u2019m a little bit more comfortable and happy, then I think it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
What are your thoughts on pronouns? Please let us know what you think and then share this story so we can get the conversation going!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In 2019, Sam Smith announced they were ending their war with gender and embracing the pronouns they\/them. Despite the bold public declaration, the \u201cMan I Am\u201d singer is still routinely misgendered, and referred to as \u201cthat fella.\u201d In September 2021, Sam Smith, the 33-year-old Grammy-winning British singer-songwriter known for hits like \u201cStay with Me,\u201d announced…<\/p>\n