The 'Nights Like This' singer says in a new interview that they feel people 'really see' them when confirming that their pronouns are she/they months after coming out as a lesbian.
- Dec 1, 2021
AceShowbiz - Kehlani has officially confirmed that their pronouns are she/they. In a new interview, the "Nights Like This" singer admitted that they prefer gender-neutral pronouns as it "feels really affirming."
During the interview with Byrdie published on Tuesday, November 30, the 26-year-old R&B star opened up about embracing their non-binary identity. "I don't mind when people say 'she' at all, but something feels really affirming when people say 'they,' " they told the outlet. "It feels like... you really see me."
Kehlani, who came out as gay in a TikTok video earlier this year, added that they prefer to focus on the journey rather than on the act of "coming out." The "Honey" singer said, "I wish it was more of a journey discovering how I love and what I need versus putting the emphasis on having to 'come out' with my sexual identity."
Sharing 2-year-old daughter Adeya with partner Javie Young-White, Kehlani said that it had led them both to commit to raising their daughter in an environment that doesn't emphasize gender. "There's always emphasis on the gender of those we love versus who that person is," they said.
"I just want to worry about if my kid loves a good person. Worry about the heart of the person you're with," Kehlani elaborated further. "If my daughter doesn't have to go through a journey to discover she's straight, then she doesn't have to go through a journey to discover if she's gay."
Kehlani shared, "We raised her [to believe] there's no difference. She sees her mommy with her girlfriend. She's going to see her father with whoever he's with." The "Gangsta" singer continued, "She's going to see all her gay aunties and uncles and her trans aunties and uncles. Everything is normal."
"They're going to have their own world. Don't make them hateful little s**ts," Kehlani suggested to other parents. "Teach them to love and not judge and it's really that simple. I don't know how it gets so overcomplicated."
Kehlani revealed their sexuality in April. During an interview with Advocate, the artist admitted that they "have a lot of privilege [as a] cisgender-presenting, straight-presenting." They said, "That's all privilege and I think that there are quite a few artists who were truly at the forefront but weren't able to make the strides that I was able to make being 100 percent myself because of the way they present and the biases and the phobias of the American public and the world," before concluding, "I've been lucky, super lucky."
