Amandla Stenberg, 19, has retracted her 2016 statement of being bi-sexual and has redefined herself as gay.
"I was so overcome with this profound sense of relief when I realized that I’m gay ― not bi, not pan, but gay ― with a romantic love for women."
She talked to singer/songwriter King Princess for Wonderland Magazine June 18, for Pride Week, about how she felt about her revelation.
Amandla Stenberg stated about what she loves about being gay is, "Where do I start? 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. It is the power to reveal the ethereal love that exists within us underneath socialization. Once I was able to rid myself of those parameters, I found myself in a deep well of unbounded and untouchable love free from the dominion of patriarchy. 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."
Amandla Stenberg said about the retracted statement of bi-sexuality is, “Had I had more representations of black gay women growing up, I probably would’ve come to conclusions around my sexuality much earlier because I would’ve had more of a conception of what was possible and okay. Having more representations of black gay women now and seeing myself reflected in them has been a huge aid in seeing myself as whole, complete and normal.”
So who was her first gay crush? Mila Kunis.
You'll remember Stenberg as Rue from The Hunger Games, and she was in Everything Everything and is currently in headlines for her leading role in The Hate U Give.
The young actress is also known for championing equality and is a black activist and feminist.
Check her out in the new trailer for The Hate U Give:
Blackpink's triumphant return: topping charts and breaking records with "DDU-DU DDU-DU"