Janelle Monáe, born Janelle Monáe Robinson, is from Kansas City, Kansas, and was born December 1, 1985. Monáe is a singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and producer. She has received 8 Grammy nominations and won the ASCAP Vanguard Award.
In 2016, Janelle Monáe made her big-screen debut in the film Moonlight, then went on to star in Hidden Figures alongside Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer.
Monáe came out in 2018 as bisexual but later stated she learned about pansexuality and identifies with it more.
Monáe is the co-chair of When We All Vote, an organization dedicated to increasing participation in every election and closing the race and age gap. She leads the Fem the Future initiative with her artist collective Wondaland. The Fem the Future initiative empowers female media creatives and filmmakers to further the conversations about opportunities for women in media.
Monáe is a big advocate for gender equality. She has been a leading voice in the public conversation about the importance of LGBTQ visibility and representation. She stated in an interview with the Washington Blade “I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, the singer dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you.”
Her 2018, double Grammy-nominated, album “Dirty Computer” was dedicated to young LGBTQ people struggling to live their authentic selves. She has been known to celebrate authenticity and embracing all of who we are.
She was awarded the 2020 Human Rights Campaign Equality Award earlier this year in January.
Written by: Zach Hover