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Since Kehlani first burst onto the scene in 2015 with their song “The Way,” fans have witnessed the singer experience many evolutions in their career and personal life. From becoming a mother to coming out as a lesbian, Kehlani’s journey has been nothing short of ordinary as they continue to find themselves with the world watching. Now, it looks as if the “Nunya” singer’s identity is experiencing another rebirth.
Kehlani recently covered Byrdie’s latest issue and in the interview, the 26-year-old opened up about using non-binary pronouns she/ they to describe themselves. While they are open to being referred to as the pronoun “she,” they see the pronoun “they” as more “affirming.”
"I don't mind when people say 'she' at all, but something feels really affirming when people say 'they," she told the outlet. "It feels like... you really see me."
The Bay Area native has been on a long journey to self-discovery. In 2018, they made it known that they identified as queer in a series of now-deleted tweets. And in April 2021, they posted a TikTok video coming out as a lesbian.
In the video, Kehlani joked that her self-revelation didn’t surprise anyone who knew her. "I finally know I'm a lesbian" and "I am gay, g-gay, gay," they said in the video.
"I'm like, 'Guys, (referring to her friends) I finally know that I'm gay — like, I'm gay gay,' and they're like, 'We know. Duh, stupid. Duh.'"
She continued, "I feel like, 'No. I want you to fall on the floor and be like, 'Congratulations! We had no idea!' Everyone's just like, 'Duh. You're the only one who didn't f---ing know. The f---ing closet was glass,'" she said. "So I guess I just wanted y'all to know that everyone knew but me."
While the singer continues to find themselves, they want others to look at their journey as self-discovery and not necessarily focus on their sexual identity.
Telling Byrdie, "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."
Featured image by Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images
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