Sam Smith has been spat at in the street since changing their pronouns.
The ‘Unholy’ hitmaker – who has released their new LP ‘Gloria’ today (27.01.23) – came out as non-binary and changed their gender pronouns to they/them in 2019, and they wish they could have done so sooner.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, they said: “So we’ve got two sides, really. My personal life and then my public life. And in my personal life, there’s not one negative. My family, they can communicate with me. They always did. But they communicate with me now in an even better way. My love life has become better from it. I feel lovable. I feel comfortable in my skin, but I wear what I want to wear.
“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.”
While there have been no issues with their new gender identity in their personal life, the 30-year-old pop star has been harassed on the streets of England since coming out.
They went on: “I think all the only negatives in the struggle have been in my public life and my job. And just the amount of hate and s****ness that came my way was just exhausting.
“It was in the f****** news. […] Someone spat at me in the street. It’s crazy. What I find hard about it is it’s like, if that’s happening to me and I’m famous, I’m a pop star, can you imagine what other kids, like queer kids are feeling? And it’s just so sad that we’re in 2023 and it’s still happening. It’s exhausting and especially in England.”
Sam recently revealed they’ve started wearing thongs every day as they are more confident with their body.
Playing a game called ‘Holy or Unholy’ with ET Canada, Sam replied: “Unholy, but I love them. I’ve started wearing thongs, I wear them every day now.
“It’s fabulous! They just slice you up in the right way.”