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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Ellie Muir

Demi Lovato changed pronouns because explaining they/them to people was ‘absolutely exhausting’

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Demi Lovato has revealed why they decided to re-adopt she/her pronouns in addition to they/them pronouns.

In 2021, the American musician, who is best known for her hit “Cool For The Summer”, announced they are non-binary and would be using they/them pronouns. Last year, they decided to also use she/her pronouns to avoid having to constantly explain herself.

“I constantly had to educate people and explain why I identified with those pronouns. It was absolutely exhausting,” said Lovato, 30, in a new interview with GQ Hype Spain, translated from Spanish to English.

“I just got tired. But for that very reason I know that it is important to continue spreading the word.”

The “Solo” singer said that they wish there were more gender-neutral spaces for people like them.

“I face this every day. For example, in public toilets. Having to access the women’s bathroom, even though I don’t completely identify with it."

Lovato continued to explain that when filling out government documents or forms, they often feel uncomfortable when presented with two options to specify their gender.

“You only have two options, male and female, and I feel like none of that makes sense to me."

Lovato also opened up about wanting more gender-neutral spaces, adding: "I would feel more comfortable in a genderless bathroom".

In 2021, Lovato came out as non-binary, explaining to fans that they would be using they/them pronouns going forward.

The singer told fans on social media that they had been “doing some healing and self-reflective work” in the past year that had ultimately led them to re-examining their gender identity.

“I want to take this moment to share something very personal with you,” they began. “Over the past year and a half I’ve been doing some healing and self-reflective work, and through this work I’ve had this revelation that I identify as non-binary.

“With that said, I’ll officially be changing my pronouns to ‘they/them’. I feel that this best represents the fluidity that I feel in my gender expression, and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and still am discovering.”

In August 2022, announcing they had started using she/her pronouns again in addition, the singer said during an episode of the Spout Podcast: “I’m such a fluid person that I don’t find that I am…I felt like, especially last year, my energy was balanced in my masculine and feminine energy.”

“So that 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 because I didn’t feel necessarily like a woman, I didn’t feel like a man,” she continued. “I just felt like a human.”

Lovato went on to assure others that “nobody’s perfect” and “everyone messes up pronouns at some point, and especially when people are learning.”

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