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Musician (and child of Sting) Eliot Sumner on being agender and dating a woman

It might be difficult to blaze your own path in the music industry when your dad is Sting, but musician Eliot Sumner has been doing just that since the age of 20. The musician, who has spoken for the first time publicly about being agender and in a relationship with a woman, released their first album, The Constant, in 2010. Critics and fans alike praised Eliot’s androgynous electro-rock sensibility on singles like “After Dark,” finding the work to be infused with parts of The Police, but providing the music with a sophisticated modern edge.

Poised to release their sophomore album, Information, in early 2016, Eliot did an interview with the Evening-Standard where they shared that they never came out to their family or friends because “no one ever asked.”

“They knew already,” Eliot said. “So I didn’t need to. I’ve never come out to anyone. My friends always knew and I always knew.”

It’s a fantastic privilege Eliot had to be accepted outright by her family and friends, and that Sting (a known LGBT ally) and mom Trudie Styler are supportive of their child. In a perfect world, none of us would have to make proclamations about why we love who we love. Eliot, who has been dating model Lucie Von Alten for two years, said they do not see themselves in terms of one sexual orientation or gender identity.

“I think forever I was trying to figure out maybe … what I am,” Eliot said. “But I don’t think anyone should feel pressured to have any kind of label or tag on them. We should treat everybody the same. Me, I don’t like to be put down to a specific thing. We’re all human beings.”

If you haven’t checked Eliot’s music out yet, you can start with the title track off their forthcoming album right here.

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