Kingdom Hearts singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada just came out as non-binary last weekend during a live Instagram broadcast. The livestream was generally a Q&A style deal with fans, but near the end of their 20-minute stream, Utada wished everyone a happy Pride and that Utada themself is non-binary.
“You know, it’s the month of June, and I’m non-binary. So, Happy Pride Month!” Utada said, just after reminding everyone that their stuffed bear Kuma is actually a gay man. Not, like, the trapped spirit of a homosexual inside the inanimate form of a stuffed teddy bear or anything, he's just a gay teddy bear.
As for Utada, we're defaulting to they/them pronouns for this article since Utada hasn't made their pronouns strictly known online. Utada did provide us with an opinion on honorifics in an Instagram post from last week.
"I’m sick of being asked if I’m 'Miss or Missus' or choosing between 'Miss/Mrs/Ms' for everyday things," Utada wrote. "It makes me uncomfortable to be identified so markedly by my marital status or sex, and I don’t relate to any of those prefixes."
Utada signed that post with a card that read "Mys" for "mystery" Utada, which gives us a fantastic new option for non-binary and questioning individuals to sign their emails with.
Utada has long been a proponent of LGBTQIA+ rights, and even went on Japanese daytime TV to discuss coming out as non-binary and do a "deep dive into what it means." Japan still hasn't legalized gay marriage, but a recent district court decision ruled that a same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional.
Utada is extremely famous in Japan, so both their coming out and going on TV to explain the sexual spectrum to audiences is a big deal for the country and could be a major step forward for LGBTQIA+ rights.