“All I can say is, when people use my pronouns correctly, it’s a wonderful feeling. I feel safe, happy, and completely seen.”
Advocates for Trans Equality recommend that to be respectful, people should use the name and pronouns requested by a non-binary individual, avoid making assumptions based on appearance, and support policies that accommodate non-binary individuals, particularly in gendered spaces like restrooms.
One instance of Smith being misgendered happened shortly after their red carpet appearance at the Barbie movie.
While many celebrities showed up in Barbie-inspired outfits, Smith chose a more casual look, wearing an oversized black sweatshirt and large flared light blue jeans.
On her talk show, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly discussed Smith’s look with guest Vogue Williams and misgendered Smith multiple times.
At one point, she commented, “Oh, he’s dressed down,” and added, “It’s a bit big for him. If he were my son, I’d say, ‘Son, that’s a bit big for you.’ He looks like the wee shrinking man, bless him.”
Meanwhile, Irish model and media personality Vogue Williams used Smith’s correct pronouns, noting that Smith would “certainly stand out on the red carpet.”
Fans of the singer and songwriter were disappointed by Kelly’s misgendering and quickly expressed their frustration on social media, criticizing the TV host.
One person posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Seems like Lorraine missed the memo about Sam Smith’s pronouns. Awkward”.
“Another addition was her attempt to use ‘him’ as many times as possible in one sentence!”
“‘Not Lorraine misgendering Sam Smith repeatedly!’ commented a third.”
Someone else said, “She usually handles this kind of thing well, but Vogue looked visibly uncomfortable! It seemed like she was really stressing the ‘THEY’ for Lorraine to notice, but it didn’t make a difference. I’m sure she’ll be disappointed about getting it wrong.”
