Los Angeles, Aug 20 (IANS): Demi Lovato, came out as non-binary earlier this year, thinks they will be exploring their gender "forever", as the singer doesn't think they'll have ever fully finished their gender "journey".

Lovato said: "I definitely think it's a journey forever. There might be a time where I identify as trans. I don't know what this looks like for me. There might be a time where I identify as non-binary and gender nonconforming my entire life.

"Or maybe there's a period of time when I get older that I identify as a woman, I don't know what that looks like, but for me, in this moment right now, this is how I identify."

The "Solo" hitmaker added: "And I have a feeling that it's not going to ever go back to one way or the other, but I just, it's about keeping it open and free and just I'm a very fluid person, and so that goes with how I express myself as well."

Lovato also said the pandemic, as well as their relationship with actor Max Ehrich, whom they dated in 2020, contributed in their decision to come out as non-binary, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The singer added: "In the beginning, going into March of 2020, I was starting to identify as non-binary. And then I met someone and I got into this straight relationship, and that was great, but that led me to ignoring all the parts of myself that I didn't think were digestible for my partner at the time, who ended up becoming my fiance.

"And I mean, in hindsight, the dissolvement of that relationship was actually probably the best thing that's happened to me, because of what that led inside of myself. I was able to stand on my own two feet without needing someone else to validate me or to make me feel accepted.

Lovato said that they said goodbye to everything that held them back from being their "authentic self".

"And when I said goodbye to that relationship, I also said goodbye to everything that was holding me back from being my most authentic self. And I really started to identify with close friends and family as non-binary towards the end of last year."

They added: "And yeah, it was the dissolvement of all things that had held me back from identifying as the person I do today."

Lovato said they often "cringe" at old photographs of themselves.

"What I do cringe at sometimes is when I see older images of myself looking super hyper feminine, that maybe fans make into fan art, and they don't mean anything by it, but it's like, I look at that fan art and I think that's not me," Lovato said during an appearance at The 19th Represents Summit.

"I don't know who that person is, because the person I am today with short hair, and the person that I've been over the past year publicly, I mean, that's who I feel like I am," they said.

Lovato added: "And so it's hard, I think when I see pictures or images of myself on a red carpet from when I was 17, 18, or whatever, even just a couple of years ago. I feel like I'm not looking at me, but I recognise that that was a part of my journey."