Amandla Stenberg is part of a generation of young artists and performers who seem more comfortable talking about their sexuality than has been true for many of those older than them. The actress has previously talked about being queer, bisexual, pansexual and/or gender fluid, but now the 19-year has said that she currently identifies as gay.
The up and coming Stenberg is perhaps still best known for playing Rue in The Hunger Games movies, but also impressed many as one of the leads in last year’s teen romance, Everything Everything. She is tipped by many as a major star of the future.
Talking to Wonderland she told them, ‘Yep, I’m gay… I’m grateful for how being gay has afforded me this ability to experience and understand love and sex, and therefore life, in an expansive and infinite way. The continual process of unlearning heteronormativity and internalized homophobia can be difficult, but one of the biggest blessings lies in the magic that comes from having to understand love outside the confines of learned heterosexual roles.’
She was also keen to point out that,My sexuality is not a byproduct of my past experiences with men, who I have loved, but rather a part of myself I was born with and love deeply.’
Stenberg confirmed she saw the interview as a true coming out (in print at least), with a rainbow colured Instagram post where she wrote, ‘OUT & PROUD. So happy to say the words Yep, I’m Gay in official print. Interviewed for @wonderland by someone I stan infinitely – the fiercest garbagio pop queen @kingprincess69. Thank you to KP for providing me with such a safe space to come out. We talk about gay sobbing, first encounters with lesbian masturbation, queer icons, Toni Morrison, disillusionment as a critical step, the art I’ve been working on, and the films that I have coming out this year. Full interview on newsstands now and available online Monday.’
You can read the full interview over at Wonderland.
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