Bisexual BBC radio presenter comes out as non-binary live on air to make a powerful point about acceptance
Trans journalist Shivani Dave. (Supplied)
BBC Radio Wiltshire presenter Shivani Dave came out as non-binary live on air during their first radio show as part of a Pride special.
After they played “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross, Shivani explained that coming out for LGBT+ people is a never-ending process.
“Coming out is something a lot of us feel like we should do, and it isn’t just a one time thing either,” they explained on the 8 August broadcast.
“It’s something that we have to keep doing over and over and over again.”
Before playing a song by non-binary singer Sam Smith, Shivani spoke candidly about their own gender identity.
Non-binary radio presenter Shivani Dave explained that they are ‘just a person’.
“Non-binary actually means a lot of different things to different people,” they explained.
“For me, it just means I don’t identify with being a man or woman. I’m sort of outside those two options – I’m just a person.”
They continued: “You know what I said about coming out over and over again? I just did it.”
Shivani has been openly bisexual for three years, and made the incredible decision to come out as non-binary during their debut show on BBC Radio Wiltshire.
In coming out so publicly I hope to show other non-binary people that they should be proud to embrace who they are.
“The presence of non-binary representation in mainstream media like the BBC is virtually non-existent,” Shivani said in a statement following their public coming out.
“In coming out so publicly I hope to show other non-binary people that they should be proud to embrace who they are.”
They hope to inspire BAME LGBT+ people by coming out publicly.
They continued: “Being South Asian, I also hope to empower other BAME LGBTQ+ people who are often an unheard minority in the queer community.”
Shivani Dave came out as non-binary during a Pride special on BBC Radio Wiltshire, which was organised to celebrate the local LGBT+ community following the cancellation of Swindon and Wiltshire Pride due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dave follows in the footsteps of the pioneering non-binary radio presenter Jacob Edward, a host and producer at Gaydio.
Edward made history last year when they presented on BBC Radio One over the Christmas period, making them the first openly non-binary presenter to ever host a show on the BBC.
