New mommy Keke Palmer is opening up more and more about her personal life on Instagram and in interviews. And during a recent award ceremony, she opened up about sexuality and identity being “confusion” for her, adding, “I always felt like I was a little bit of everything.”
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Keke Palmer Says Sexuality And Identity Have ‘Always Been Confusion’ For Her: ‘I Always Felt Like I Was A Little Bit Of Everything’
On Saturday (April 22), she continued to be an open book as she was honored by the Los Angeles LGBT Center. At the center’s annual gala, which took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel, Keke was presented with a Vanguard Award from ‘Queer Eye’ star Karamo Brown.
During her acceptance speech, Keke said, “I’m so grateful to be here today to be embraced by a community that I’ve always felt accepted by and a part of. I’ve always been my own person. Sexuality and identity for me has always been confusion.”
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Keke continued, “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.’ You know, I always felt like I was a little bit of everything.”
Keke said, “So often, I lead with masculinity. And as a woman, I’ve always been met with so much disdain, you know what I mean? think so much of that came from who I thought I had to be to get respect, admiration and love. And I’ve always really wanted to be like my father…to want to be taken seriously and not diminish because I was a woman. You know, that’s always been a source of — I guess you would say — pain and resentment.”
Holding back tears, Keke questioned, “Why did my gender have to define the power I have in the world? And why does my gender get to decide my sexuality?”
Keke continued, “You know, 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 added, “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.”
At the same event, which was hosted by T.S. Madison, Pamela Anderson was presented with a Vanguard Award as well. It is also reported that the event raised more than $1 million for the center. Following the ceremony, Keke also took to her Instagram with a photo of her holding her award, alongside Karamo Brown.
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