Kehlani for Byrdie.Photo: Ally Green
ForKehlani, using non-binary pronouns makes them feel seen.
On Tuesday, the R&B singer — and mother ofAdeya, 2 — opened upin an interview withByrdieabout embracing their non-binary identity.
“I don’t mind when people say ‘she’ at all, but something feels really affirming when people say ‘they,'” the singer, 26, told the outlet. “It feels like… you really see me.”
Earlier this year, Kehlanicame out as lesbian. However, rather than focus on the act of “coming out,” the singer prefers to focus on the journey.
“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,” they told the outlet.
Kehlani for Byrdie.Ally Green
The singer-songwriter also opened up about their album, titledBlue Water Road, set to release in early 2022, which “talks about love and coming into gayness.”
Their previous album,It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, released in 2020, addressed their relationship with former partner Javie Young-White, with whom they share daughterAdeya, 2.
Now, Kehlani assured that they’re adamant on raising their daughter with the notion that there shouldn’t be an emphasis on gender.
“There’s always emphasis on the gender of those we love versus who that person is,” the “I Like Dat” singer said. “I just want to worry about if my kid loves a good person. Worry about the heart of the person you’re with. 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.”
They continue, “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. 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 shits. Teach them to love and not judge and it’s really that simple. I don’t know how it gets so overcomplicated.”
Back in April, Kehlani shared a similar sentiment about raising their daughter in a “loudly queer” environment.
“All my friends, all her aunties, uncles, her godparents, everybody is just loudly queer,” they said at the time in an interview withAdvocate. “Our generation already kind of broke the mold of getting to that point, so I don’t even think our kids are going to think about it as something that they have to identify and differentiate. I feel it should be normal.”
Earlier this year,Halseypraised Kehlani for for being a guiding lighton their journey to motherhood.
source: people.com
