Janelle Monáe, a nonbinary artist, actor, and novelist have been named The Trevor Project’s annual Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year. According to the organization, Monáe has shown an “unwavering devotion” to raising LGBTQ+ mental health awareness.
Monáe has been candid about their sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as their depression and anxiety difficulties. The Trevor Project said on Tuesday that Janelle Monáe has been selected as The Trevor Project’s 2017 “Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year” for her “unwavering devotion” to awareness, the organization said on Tuesday.
The Trevor Project, a major LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention group, has honored Monáe, who uses both gender-neutral and female pronouns. Last year, the group’s inaugural award went to openly homosexual rapper Lil Nas X. The Trevor Project said Tuesday in a news release announcing Monáe’s achievement that the award is given annually to significant public figures who lift up the LGBTQ+ community, spread mental health awareness, and remind gay children that “they are not alone.”
The Trevor Project’s vice president of marketing, Josh Weaver, said Tuesday that “queer representation in the media may have a life-saving influence on LGBTQ young people, and Janelle Monáe is the personification of unapologetic self-expression.” America is transforming at a breakneck pace! To stay up to date on the news, follow Changing America on Facebook or Twitter.
“Janelle has been a trailblazer who constantly challenges the status quo throughout their career – from their depictions of queer love in their music videos to their iconic, gender nonconforming style, they continue to redefine the rules around how LGBTQ and BIPOC people can navigate through life,” Weaver said. Monáe told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in May that their “natural impulse” has always been to stand up to bullies and support those who are trying to live their real selves. “I’m always looking for methods to defend underprivileged and working-class people,” Monáe remarked. The multi-hyphenate artist released a 17-minute version of their 2015 protest song “Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout)” last year, which included the names of 61 black women and girls killed by law enforcement.
In a 2018 Rolling Stone cover story, Monáe revealed publicly that she is pansexual, telling the publication that she is “open to learning more about who I am.” They declared their gender identity as nonbinary during an appearance on Facebook Watch’s “Red Table Talk” in April. “I just don’t see myself purely as a woman,” Monáe explained to Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris. “I can feel every ounce of my vitality.”
Monáe has also been open about their depression and anxiety struggles, revealing in a 2020 interview with NPR that they had suffered several panic attacks while recording their album “Dirty Computer” after former President Trump’s election, fearing that white supremacists and extremists would feel “emboldened” to attack them for speaking out against things like rampant racism, sexism, and xenophobia.
“As someone who has experienced sadness and anxiety, prioritizing and safeguarding your mental health is vital,” Monáe said in a statement posted by The Trevor Project on Tuesday. “No matter what you’re going through, your life is so important – don’t let anyone dull your light.” “Growing up queer and black in a religious household, I encountered a lot of issues trying to grasp my identity and where I fit in as someone who always felt beyond the binary,” said Monáe, who grew up in Kansas City. “As LGBTQ people of color, we are a powerful and unstoppable community.” I want every young LGBT person to know that I see them, that they are beautiful in all of their forms, and that they are never, ever alone in this world.”