Actress and activist Sara Ramirez gave a powerful speech about bisexual and pansexual visibility while accepting the Trailblazer Award from the New York LGBT Center.
Ramirez – who appeared for over a decade as Dr. Callie Torres on the television drama Grey’s Anatomy – is set to make her first appearance on Madam Secretary next Sunday as political strategist Kat Sandoval.
Being a queer woman – that is, a woman who identifies herself as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, or anything other than heterosexual and is attracted to other women – isn’t always easy.
Finding positive portrayals of queer women in media isn’t easy either. So it’s important that together we keep our representation strong.
Today is lesbian visibility day – a day which started in the US almost 10 years ago. It is a day to celebrate lesbian life and culture and all our diversity.
Queer female celebrities have always been such an integral part of our queer culture. Whether the celeb in question actually identifies as lesbian, bisexual, or pansexual, or there’s just a lot of speculation about their sexuality, one thing’s for certain: We absolutely love them.
We’ve taken the time to identify 20 of the most famous out queer female celebrities, with a handy little guide to explain what your crush on that particular woman really means.
Ready? Let’s go! In alphabetical order…
Your crush on “no labels” actress Amber Heard says that you’re more about the person than how they label themselves – and that’s a great feeling. In fact, Amber made sure to note all the way back in 2011 that she doesn’t really label herself one way or the other – “it’s the person who matters.” Your crush on her says that you care about a person for the person they are, rather than the person they love.
You’re into the classical beauty – strong, yet feminine features, with all the right curves and a seriously fierce pout. Between beauty, strength, and inclusivity, there is no contest – all are equally important when it comes to winning your affections. Besides – with a resume like hers, how could you possibly say no?
Your crush on Anna Paquin says that your sexuality is far from the most important (or interesting) thing about you – and in fact, you prefer to keep your personal life as personal as possible, unless opening up will help someone else come to terms with who they are. You love the supernatural world and, TBH, you’d probably rather be a creature from another reality anyway. And, I mean, why wouldn’t you?
While many chose to label Caitlyn Jenner’s daring coming-out story as a publicity stunt, you instead chose to accept that it takes a lot of courage to come out later in life, and relentlessly supported her transition anyway. Go you for looking past the public opinion and realizing that all people deserve respect – even if they were once on a reality TV show.
While it was widely reported that Cameron Diaz came out as bisexual, the fact of the matter is that she didn’t – so your crush on her might confirm that you tend to veer towards straight girls. (Sorry!) Not that there’s anything wrong with admiring someone you wouldn’t actually get with, of course, so this might mean that you prefer friendships over intimate relationships – and that is A-OK with us.
You’re into all that snark and sarcasm that we’ve come to know Cara for, but it’s more than just that – she manages to be entirely herself without compromising her exquisite beauty. Plus, she’s friends with practically everyone in Hollywood, so you might even be interested in the party scene – but, to be clear, that’s just a super small portion of who you really are.
Your crush on the gorgeous Demi Moore proves that age is nothing but a number – and if you got that hot cougar thing working for you, well, that’s even better. Although her marriage with Ashton has already fallen apart, rumor has it that she’s just as into women as she is in men – so, in theory, her next boo could be a young, beautiful woman. (Please let this one be true!)
While Drew has spent most of her life in the spotlight, it came as a shock to many when she came out as bisexual – something that hasn’t put the tiniest hitch in her career. Your crush on her reveals that labels don’t really matter to you, and it doesn’t matter what other people think. Even though she has never sought to make herself a “sex symbol,” per se, she’s still definitely sexy to you!
Your love for this Ellen means that you are down to be a pioneer, even if being a pioneer isn’t the easiest thing to do. Since Ellen came out way back when it wasn’t socially acceptable to do so, she’s put up with more than her fair share of haters in that time – but, thankfully, her overwhelming kindness and confidence has prevailed. I don’t think her relationship with Portia is going anywhere, though, so this crush isn’t going to lead anywhere in the foreseeable future.
Ellen Page is one of the quirkiest actresses on our list, and while she doesn’t often play LGBT characters on the screen, she makes a point to support the LGBT community wherever she can. Your crush on her says that activism is super important to you, as is witty humor – and, of course, that makes her the perfect catch.
Even though many people have accused Evan of coming out for the attention, she chooses to educate, rather than hate on the uninformed masses. In 2013, she told AfterEllen,
So I don’t get angry or try to fight hate with hate; I just try to educate.” Your crush on her says that you understand that ignorance isn’t usually a choice, and you’d rather be with someone who is accepting of everyone – even those they don’t really understand.
Kesha represents strength through adversity, as we all know the highly-visible ordeal she’s been going through these days. While some choose to label her as someone crying out for attention, your support of her proves that we should all be taken seriously – even if we happen to be covered in glitter. The world needs more glitter anyway, guys.
Lea DeLaria might not be the traditional image of beauty that we see in the world, but your crush on her proves that it’s what’s inside that counts – especially when what’s inside is a whole bunch of sassiness, wrapped in activism, with a bit of dapper to hold it all together. You know that someone’s personality is what makes them so great, and you’re all about being your own witty, vulgar person, even if it makes you a pariah.
Now, LiLo fans are a little more into the party scene than the Cara fans, but can you blame them? Lindsay had a pretty rough childhood in the spotlight, like Miley, and she had to take some time for herself to get her head back on straight. Your crush on her means that you understand when your romantic interest makes some bad choices – it doesn’t mean she’s a bad person.
Megan Fox has garnered some negative attention in saying that she, as a bisexual woman, won’t sleep with other bisexual women. However, you realize that it’s powerful to know exactly who you are and exactly what you want – and if your dream girl can do so while looking absolutely fabulous, even better.
Action is important to you – all kinds of action, both the kind fueled by love and the kind that takes place inside super fast cars or alongside Danny Trejo. She makes no excuses for who she is, and she won’t let anyone else define her – exactly what you like in a woman!
You’re really into a woman who does her own thing, even if it took her a while to be comfortable in her own skin. You want someone who is unapologetic about who she is, even if that means she doesn’t always fit in with the crowd. The woman of your dreams would never put herself back into hiding just to make other people comfortable – what’s the point in that?
Your crush on political correspondent Rachel Maddow shows that you want a woman who is well-informed and also just a bit sarcastic. Although many disapprove of the way she has spoken about the U.S. President Elect Donald Trump, you want a woman who speaks her mind in any situation – even if it doesn’t win her any popularity. Her witty humor turns you on, and you need a woman who can do the same in your life.
Your crush on Ruby Rose tells us that you want someone flexible – a woman who can be either the studliest stud or the most feminine femme, all while looking absolutely fabulous. You don’t even care how much attention she’s getting from straight girls and lesbians alike – she’s bae and that’s all there is to it!
Your love for Samira tells us that you are all about using your powers for good. As a Julliard graduate, she chose to forego the more traditional path to perfection and instead bolted into everyone’s hearts as OITNB’s Poussey – at least until her untimely death at the end of the last season. Yikes. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to see her in other awesome stuff, besides just her adorable Instagram pics with future wifey Lauren Morelli.
Drop us a comment below letting us know who you’d like to see on this list! If there’s enough interest, we’ll do a second list with all the suggestions from readers.
Cyrus first came out as pansexual just over a year ago, expressing the fluid nature of her sexuality. Since then, she has be incredible out-spoken about her struggle to come to terms with her sexuality
In a recent interview with Variety magazine, Cyrus said she become more aware of her sexual orientation between the age of 10 and 12 – just before she started filming Hannah Montana.
The pop singer also described the moment she realised she was pansexual. and the realisation did not fit into one specific gender, explaining she had always felt equally aligned with both genders.
I didn’t understand my own gender and my own sexuality. I always hated the word ‘bisexual’ because that’s even putting me in a box”
She continued
I don’t ever think about someone being a boy or someone being a girl. Also, my nipple pasties and shit never felt sexualised to me. My eyes started opening in the fifth or sixth grade. My first relationship in my life was with a chick.”
Cyrus explained she first figured out she was pansexual when she realised what it meant.
I went to the LGBTQ centre here in LA. And I started hearing these stories. I saw one human in particular who didn’t identify as male or female. Looking at them, they were both: beautiful and sexy and tough but vulnerable and feminine but masculine. And I related to that person more than I related to anyone in my life.”
Cyrus said she had felt involved in the LGBTQ community for the entirety of her life.
Even though I may seem very different, people may not see me as neutral as I feel. But I feel very neutral. I think that was the first gender-neutral person I’d ever met. Once I understood my gender more, which was unassigned, then I understood my sexuality more. I was like, ‘Oh – that’s why I don’t feel straight and I don’t feel gay. It’s because I’m not.’”
She also spoke of growing up in a deeply religious family in the deep South in Franklin, Tennessee, saying that despite the fact her parents didn’t understand her sexuality straight away, she knew they would learn to.
Cyrus explained that her mum had since apologised for not being more immediately understanding about her sexuality.
On The Voice this young girl started crying when she left, because I’m the reason she came out. My mom started crying. She was like, “I’m so sorry about the way I was when you were that age and coming out.” She never understood me until she saw that girl who couldn’t be herself. It was very cool.”
Cyrus first came out as pansexual just over a year ago, expressing the fluid nature of her sexuality.
Zoë Kravitz and her band Lolawolf, have team up with pansexual pop star Miley Cyrus for a new track about girl-on-girl affections.
The relatively low-key track called Teardrop, which features trippy echoes and heavy electronic synth, is a far cry from Cyrus’s well known hits like, We Can’t Stop and Party in the U.S.A.
The track’s lyrics were probably a selling point for the Happy Hippie Foundation founder to get involved as well.
They’re about a girl falling in love with another girl.
“But you made me feel so good. I can make a teardrop, Girl you make me feel so good, Teardrop.”
What better song for a passionate LGBTQ supporter like Miley to lend her unique vocals to?
Cyrus teased the track on Instagram Wednesday, along with a link to buy it on iTunes.
At the MTV Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus, announced that she was following 2013’s Bangerz – her platinum-selling – major label pop album, with 23 sprawling new songs, now streaming free online.
And it would turn out the one of her songs Bang Me Box is about sex with a woman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Bi0478cQE
In an interview with the New York Times, Cyrus talked about her identity and new album.
I feel very gender-fluid. For a long time I didn’t understand my own sexuality. I would get really frustrated and think I’d never understand what I am, because I can’t even figure out if I’m feeling more like a girl or boy. It took me talking to enough trans people to realize that I didn’t ever have to decide on one.”
In a new interview with Elle Magazine, Miley Cyrus has clarified that she actually identifies as pansexual – the attraction to people regardless of sex or gender identity – rather than bisexual, which has been widely reported in the media.
She told the magazine:
I’m very open about it – I’m pansexual. But I’m not in a relationship. I’m 22, I’m going on dates, but I change my style every two weeks, let alone who I’m with.”
The Cyrus also spoke about to discusses why she decided to use her power, and popularity, to do something important by setting up her charity The Happy Hippie Foundation.
I was kind of embarrassed that I got paid money to shake my ass in a teddy bear costume. I should not be worth the amount I am while people live on the streets.”
If you get your tits out, and they are all looking, then you can use that space to say something and get them to listen.”
The star says she has no plans to settle down just yet – with a person of any gender.
Earlier this year, when Cyrus revealed she had dated men and women
There are times in my life where I’ve had boyfriends or girlfriends. And there are times where I just love being with myself and don’t want to give part of myself away to someone else.
I think that’s a new freedom for women, especially. I don’t know that my mother would have been able to be 22 and secure in being alone. But my future doesn’t rely on having a partner.”
Angel Haze is no stranger to controversy. The openly pansexual rapper has gotten into Twitter spats with fellow MC Azealia Banks (which Haze has since apologised for), they’ve hit back at the media for referring to them and their girlfriend Ireland Baldwin as “gal pals” (when they are anything but platonic) and Haze has even took their own record label on after they delayed their album release by several months. Now, Haze is using their outspoken nature to help inspire and uplift in a new MTV show called Truce.
In Truce, Haze partners up with Nev Schulman who some may know as one half of the team behind Catfish (the show which looks to expose whether online relationships are real or fake). The duo take on tough situations and act as mediators to help sort people’s problems out. The idea of course, is that not only will these people be able to see a opposing viewpoint to their own, but that viewers at home will learn something new too.
Also: Rapper Angel Haze Records Coming Out Freestyle to ‘Same Love’ Beat.
That was the case in a recent episode where Haze met a woman named Chiquina who was having difficulty accepting her bisexual daughter Briyonza’s sexuality. Chiquina told Haze that:
“You wanna know my thinking of guys dating guys and becoming gay? I think they got molested when they were younger…Girls, I think they just try stuff and I’m not gonna sit there and say if I let a girl lick on me that I wouldn’t like it. I mean, I know how I like to be licked. You know what I mean? So, this is how people get hooked on drugs: they try things.”
While Chiquina is certainly not alone in her opinion (unfortunately), her homophobic views meant that her relationship with her daughter was suffering. So, after a meeting with Chiquina, Briyonza and Briyonza’s girlfriend Advani turned sour, the rapper took Chiquina aside and explained that they haven’t spoken to their mother in 5 years due to similar views.
While Chiquina initially told Haze that they should be ashamed of themselves for not talking to their mother, Haze responded with “No, she ought to be ashamed of herself for choosing that over her own child” and it was then that Chiquina saw the error in her ways. Later in the episode Chiquina tells Briyonza that “You should always be happy. Even if you think it’s not going to make me happy…well, you should care, but your happiness is more important.”
With Angel’s help, Chiquina (and Briyonza’s grandmother) said that they accepted Briyonza and that their “hearts were touched”. Hopefully viewers at home felt the same way too.
Rapper, Angel Haze has just released her own unique version of ‘Same Love’ – one of the biggest LGBT themed songs to be released ever – and boy is her version powerful, raw and honest.
Haze, who identifies as pansexual and eschews gender pronouns in her music, always exhibits an insatiable thirst for authenticity and a take-no-prisoners attitude, making her rapid-fire rhymes all the more compelling.
She is currently dating model Ireland Baldwin (the daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger). The couple made their red carpet debut at the MTV Movie Awards in August last year, since dating rumours begun months before. They have since been outspoken about her relationship, supporting each other the long away.xcvbnmnb
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/116460209″ params=”color=ff5500″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
At age 13 my mother knew I wasn’t straight
she didn’t understand but she had so much to say
she sat me on the couch looked me straight in my face
and said you’ll burn in hell or probably die of AIDS
it’s funny now but at 13 it was pain
to be almost sure of who you are and have it ripped away
and i’m sorry if it’s too real for some of you to fathom
but hate for who you love is not exactly what you’d imagine
and i guess it was disastrous
cause everything that happened afterwards was just madness
locked away for two years to keep me on the inside
because she’d rather see a part of me die than me thrive
and it’s tougher when it’s something you can’t deny
and ignorance teaches us it’s something that you decide
you’re driven by your choice is an optical illusion
here’s to understanding that it’s not always confusionAngel Haze
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