Amandla Stenberg has come out as gay

18 June 2018

Amandla Stenberg has come out as gay.

Amandla Stenberg

The 19-year-old actress - who also identifies as non-binary - had previously revealed in an interview in 2016 that she would describe herself as bisexual, but has now said she only feels "a romantic love for women", and was "overcome with this profound sense of relief" when she came to terms with her sexuality.

She said: "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.

"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.

"I was so overcome with this profound sense of relief when I realised that I'm gay - not bi, not pan, but gay - with a romantic love for women. All of the things that felt so internally contrary to my truest self were rectified as I unraveled a long web of denial and self-deprivation."

The 'Hunger Games' star was "flooded with a sense of calm and peace" when she came out to those close to her, as she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Speaking to Wonderland magazine, Amandla said: "I was flooded with a sense of calm and peace because everything that I struggled with or felt discomfort around finally made sense to me. And once those floodgates opened and years of pent up pain and shame were released, I found the freedom to live my best life waiting for me just underneath."

Amandla also celebrated on Instagram where she shared a series of pictures from her photoshoot for the publication, and said she was "proud" to have come out.

She wrote: "OUT & PROUD.

"So happy to say the words Yep, I'm Gay in official print. Interviewed for @wonderlandby 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. (sic)"