Among the platitudes that are shared every Pride Month, “accept yourself” is one of the most common — but pop star Kim Petras wants to examine the actual meaning behind that phrase.

In a post to her Instagram Stories on Monday (June 3), the pop singer shared a “lil pride message for anyone who needs it,” and revealed how she has encountered the common phrase often in her own life. “Accept yourself was something doctors and psychologists would frequently tell me when I went to see them at 8, at 10, at 12, and at 16,” she wrote. “As in ‘you can still wear makeup and present as whatever, but why would you need to go so far’ … Why can’t you just accept yourself?”

The singer continued, saying that those doctors refused to understand that the self they were asking her to accept was not her true self. “They couldn’t fathom that I had accepted myself since I can remember and accepted everything I knew I needed to do to be myself,” she wrote.

Petras then reminded readers that intention is important, especially when it comes to a loaded phrase like this one. “Accept yourself can be a pretty sh—y thing to say to someone,” she wrote. “Some nerd online has said it to me every day of my life since I can remember … and their dads are probably obsessed w me.” She signed off her note with one final message to her fans: “That being said … accept yourself and happy pride.”

The new post comes after Petras announced that she would be canceling all summer festival appearances in 2024 — including sets at Primavera Sound, Mighty Hoopla and a headlining gig at LadyLand — to focus on her health. “I’m going through some health issues and under medical advice I have had to make the hard decision to not perform at festivals this summer,” she wrote in an update. “I love u so much and I’ll make it up to you and be back better than ever very soon.”

Read Petras’ full Pride Month note below: