This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 13, 2019, pop star Sam Smith made a significant announcement on Instagram, changing their pronouns to they/them.
Smith explained that this decision was the culmination of their journey towards self-acceptance, writing, "I've decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out."
While acknowledging that people may accidentally misgender them, Smith asked that fans "please please try" to respect their new pronouns.
Smith's decision to change their pronouns comes after they first announced their non-binary and genderqueer identity in March 2019, during an appearance on Jameela Jamil's Instagram series I Weigh.
"You are a mixture of all different things, you are your own special creation," Smith said. "That's how I take it; I'm not male or female, I think I flow somewhere in between. It's all on the spectrum."
