Pop singer Janelle Monae has just told fans that she’s no longer a female. According to the pop singer she now classifies herself as “non-binary.”
Janelle – who has long been an advocate for women’s rights and called herself a “feminist” – is now abandoning (or changing?) her former gender.
The singer made the announcement yesterday on social media. Here’s what she posted:
Many of Janelle’s fans are upset with her “coming out” as non-binary. They feel betrayed that such a devout feminist would “abandon” her gender.
This morning Janelle is trending on Twitter.
Janelle “coming out” as non-binary is the latest social media post that is exposing the rift between transgenderism and traditional feminism.
On Friday, the hashtag #IAmNonbinary trended on Twitter throughout the day. Many people who have publicly identified as nonbinary used it as a bid of visibility, posting photos of themselves. Others used it as a tool of education. GLAAD tweeted out graphics aimed at helping followers with language that is less binary. The Human Rights Campaign similarly used the hashtag to correct some assumptions about those who are nonbinary.
Last month Harry Potter author JK Rowling – a devout feminist – was labeled “cruel,” “transphobic” and a “bigot” after tweeting in support of Maya Forstater, a woman who lost her job after suggesting that transgender people cannot change the biological sex they were born with.
But not everyone criticized JK Rowling, as she received plenty of praise for what her defenders believe is a strong feminist statement.