Non-binary actors are officially part of mainstream culture. Among their number: former Disney child pop star Demi Lovato, the high-profile performer who played Princess Diana in Netflix’s The Crown, Emma Corrin, pop star sensation Sam Smith, performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon, and singer and actor Janelle Monae, who appeared in the Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures.
The challenges for non-binary artists are significant. Recent surveys have found that the majority of women and non-binary people feel unsafe in Melbourne music venues. For non-binary performers such as Jessi Ryan, their identity meant leaving institutions to embark on their work independently.
