Courtney Stodden says the non-binary community got a huge ally in their corner when Demi Lovato came out as a member ... and Courtney has zero doubt DL's announcement will save lives going forward.
Courtney tells TMZ ... a celebrity of Demi's caliber coming out as non-binary will help the community feel validated, and make those still struggling to come out feel strong and confident enough to do it -- and that decision, ultimately, could help to prevent suicide.
Courtney -- who also recently came out as non-binary -- says they haven't yet reached out to Demi, because they want to give them space and time during what can be a scary experience ... but Courtney plans to try chatting with Demi about it in the near future.
Courtney knows the importance of young people being able to relate to celebs, especially in a community at risk for suicide.
The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention org for LGBTQ youth, just released a new national study that found LGBTQ youth of color and transgender, along with non-binary youth, have a much higher risk of suicide than their peers.
ABC News recently reported that 42% of LGBT youth surveyed said they considered attempting suicide in the last year alone, and more than HALF that tally was for transgender and non-binary youth.
As we reported ... Demi came out Wednesday saying they are now identifying as non-binary and changed pronouns to they/them.
Demi said the switch best represented the fluidity they feel in gender expression.
Courtney knows the feeling -- after coming out last month they said, "My spirit is fluid with a kaleidoscope of color."