Nope star Keke Palmer discusses her gender and sexuality: ‘I always felt I was a little bit of everything’
“I never felt straight enough. I never felt gay enough. And I never felt woman enough. I never felt man enough.”
Keke Palmer has shared that her sexuality and gender identity have long been confusing.
The 29-year-old Nope actor was presented a Vanguard Award from Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
The centre holds the status as the largest nonprofit serving queer and trans communities internationally.
Taking to the stage on Saturday (22 April), Keke shared she is “so grateful” to be embraced by the LGBTQ+ community.
“I’ve always been my own person, and sexuality and identity, for me, it’s always been confusion,” she shared, Variety reported.
“You know, it’s, ‘I never felt straight enough. I never felt gay enough. And I never felt woman enough. I never felt man enough.’ I always felt like I was a little bit of everything.”
“So often, I lead with masculinity. And as a woman, I’ve always been met with so much disdain, you know what I mean?” Keke said. “I think so much of that came from who I thought I had to be to get respect, admiration and love.”
She went on to share she has always wanted to be like her father, and to be taken seriously.
“That’s always been a source of — I guess you would say — pain and resentment,” she also added.
Tearing up, Keke asked: “Why did my gender have to define the power I have in the world? And why does my gender get to decide my sexuality?”
“Why does my gender get to decide my sexuality?
“Since I was younger, I always questioned the boxes I was forced to be in and it starts with who you’re supposed to be as a child. You’re supposed to be as a Black person or whatever the background you are from… Then those walls just try to cave you in from every damn angle. Who you are as a creative. Who you are as a friend.”
She continued: “I’m truly so grateful to be seen in this room because I know I’m surrounded by people who know without a doubt what it’s like to decide to be who you are in a world that tells you to be everything but yourself.”
Keke spoke about her sexuality publicly in 2017 with HuffPost, sharing she does not want her sexuality defined by labels and said that people should be fluid with labelling themselves.
This was her first public appearance since the birth of her first child in February with her boyfriend, Darius Jackson.
Also at the ceremony, Pamela Anderson received an award for her work in LGBTQ+ activism.
The late actor Leslie Jordan was also honoured with a tribute.