Famous Faces Who Said 'No Thanks' to the Gender Box On International Non-Binary People’s Day 2025

 

July 14th is International Non-Binary People’s Day, and it’s not a holiday Hallmark saw coming. Sandwiched precisely halfway between International Women’s Day (March 8) and International Men’s Day (November 19), it says that not everyone fits neatly into the binary checkbox of ‘M’ or ‘F’. In fact, many people live and thrive in the space beyond the two. Founded in 2012 by activist Katje van Loon, the day is about visibility, education, and celebration. It’s a chance to appreciate the many ways people experience and express gender—not just male or female, but all the nuanced, layered, occasionally glitter-covered in-betweens.

 

What is non-binary? Simply put, non-binary individuals don’t exclusively identify as male or female. Their gender identity might be both, neither, fluid, or somewhere else entirely on the gender spectrum. And while this might sound revolutionary, in many cultures around the world (from Two-Spirit identities among Indigenous North Americans to the hijras in our own country), it’s actually quite traditional. Fabulous and Fearless Non-Binary Public Figures Seeing someone who lives outside the binary—and thrives—can be life-saving for young people who don’t yet have the language or the space to define themselves. It tells them, you are not alone. Whether it’s through a Grammy speech, a red carpet moment, or a Youtube monologue, these icons are changing the script, one pronoun at a time.

 

Here are some personalities who’ve ditched the binary and redefined celebrity, one pronoun at a time:

 

1. Indya Moore If you watched the OTT series Pose, you’ve seen the magnificence that is Indya Moore. They became the first trans woman of colour to star in a major network TV show and were named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Moore is openly non-binary and advocates fiercely for LGBTQ+ rights, especially for trans people of colour. They once said, “My pronouns are free for you to use as you feel. Respect is what matters.”

 

2. Demi Lovato Pop powerhouse Demi Lovato made headlines in 2021 when they came out as non-binary. With a discography of empowerment anthems like Confidence and a public journey through recovery and self-discovery, Demi has used their platform to talk about gender fluidity, mental health, and finding peace in authenticity. “I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression,” they wrote on Instagram.

 

3. Jonathan Van Ness Queer Eye For The Straight Guy’s resident hair-flipping, wisdom-dropping guru, Jonathan Van Ness (aka JVN), came out as non-binary in 2019. Their entire existence is a tutorial on living your best, most sparkly life. JVN has said they identify with both masculine and feminine energy and prefer “he,” “she,” or “they” depending on the moment... but always prefer you say it with kindness.

 

4. Janelle Monáe The Electric Lady herself, singer-actress Janelle Monáe, has long been queering the very concept of genre: in music, film, and gender. Identifying as non-binary and pansexual, Monáe told The Cut: “I’m beyond the binary.” With a signature blend of sci-fi aesthetics, soulful vocals, and sharp activism, they’re nothing short of a walking revolution in tuxedos and tulle.

 

5. Sam Smith British singer Sam Smith made the pop charts cry in 2014 and came out as non-binary in 2019. Their announcement was brave and vulnerable: “After a lifetime of being at war with my gender, I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out.” Since then, they’ve used their music, fashion and public presence to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and gender inclusivity, all while winning Grammys.

 

6. Alok Vaid-Menon Poet, author, fashion icon, and all-around wisdom machine, Alok is a non-binary performance artist who challenges not only gender norms but the very concept of identity as fixed. Their work—on stage and on Instagram—is as much art as it is activism. If you’ve ever read one of their essays or captions, you’ve likely cried and felt smarter by the end of it.

 

7. Emma Corrin Best known for portraying Princess Diana in The Crown, Emma Corrin came out as non-binary in 2021 and updated their pronouns on social media. Since then, they’ve spoken about the freedom they’ve found in expressing themselves beyond gendered expectations and have become a face of high-fashion campaigns challenging traditional gender codes. In the end, being non-binary doesn’t mean being confusing. It means being real. As history shows, the most real people are usually the ones who don’t fit into any box at all.