Singer-songwriter Sam Smith’s pronouns and gender identity, explained

Anyone who enjoys pop music is likely familiar with Sam Smith. The British singer has put out some major hits since the beginning of their career, becoming known internationally for In the Lonely Hour, the first of four studio albums released up until now. As the singer grew more and more familiar with their audience, they felt the desire to share important personal details with those who support their artistry.

Since 2014, the public has been aware that Smith is part of the LGBTQ+ community, due to them coming out as gay that year. However, as is the case for many others in the community, this wouldn’t be the first time the artist came out, and in 2019, they announced that they/them pronouns should be used to address them. Smith disclosed this information via an Instagram post, in which they also proclaimed to be non-binary, and shared a bit of their personal experience with gender identity. Smith expressed their struggle by saying that “after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out.”

Many questions have arisen since this moment, particularly from those with little knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community and the experiences of those who are part of it. Just recently, in a video shared exclusively with PEOPLE by Apple Music 1, Smith opened up about the wave of hate they have faced since coming out, but also talked about the relief of being true to oneself:

“Since changing my pronouns, it felt like a coming home. I wish I knew what the words were when I was in school, because I would’ve identified as that in school. Because it is who I am and it’s who I’ve always been.”

So, for those who still struggle to understand it, what does it means to be non-binary, exactly? In summary, because some people regard gender as a binary, in which the only two categories are “male” or “female,” the term non-binary arose as a descriptor of people who don’t feel like either of those. Hence, the term refers to the experience of being outside the gender binary and can be used as an umbrella term for folks who identify as agender, genderqueer, genderfluid, or bigender.

While a lot of non-binary people tend to adopt they/them pronouns for their neutrality — as is the case with Smith— that doesn’t necessarily mean that all do. Some non-binary folks are comfortable being addressed by a particular set of gendered pronouns or words, while others even accept all pronouns. For a lot of people, pronouns can also change over time, as their gender identity does, too.

This goes to show that a lot of different experiences can fit under the concept of non-binary — and hopefully — Sam Smith’s openness about their identity will help others get a step closer to understanding themselves.