Miley opens up on how she discovered her pansexuality and calls out The CW's female-centric superhero series while addressing Hollywood inequality.
- Oct 12, 2016
AceShowbiz - Miley Cyrus talks about coming out as pansexual in her cover story for Variety's Power of Women issue. She used to be confused about her own sexuality. "My eyes started opening in the fifth or sixth grade," she reveals. "My first relationship in my life was with a chick."
"My whole life, I didn't understand my own gender and my own sexuality," she says. "I always hated the word 'bisexual,' because that's even putting me in a box. I don't ever think about someone being a boy or someone being a girl. Also, my nipple pasties and s**t never felt sexualized to me."
"I grew up in a very religious Southern family," Miley continues. "The universe has always given me the power to know I'll be OK. Even at that time, when my parents didn't understand, I just felt that one day they are going to understand."
She first discovered her pansexuality when she "went to the LGBTQ center here in L.A." She recalls, "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."
"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."
"My empowerment comes from feeling like I have a purpose now. On my tombstone, I didn't want the 'Wrecking Ball' lyrics. I wanted it to be something greater. I'm the only f**king Disney star who would say I'm pro lesbian and gay, before it was OK to say that."
Miley also criticizes Hollywood inequality and slams "Supergirl" in the process. "A lot of it could be changed if we had a female president. That would give us a subconscious boost. I think people will have to realize they're looking really dated," she says.
"For example, there's a show called 'Supergirl.' I think having a show with a gender attached to it is weird. One, it's a woman on that f**king billboard - it's not a little girl. Two, what if you're a little boy who wants to be a girl so bad that this makes you feel bad? I think having a title like 'Supergirl' doesn't give the power that people think it does."
"The Voice" coach additionally talks about working with Woody Allen and addresses the public scrutiny surrounding the sexual abuse allegations made against the director by his estranged daughter. "I live a similar life to Woody - I live a public life. Until I know someone and I know their story, I never really judge anyone. That's kind of how I went into it," she says.
Miley adds, "From the way I saw him with his family, I never saw him be anything but an incredible person and a really great dad. People might slam me for saying that. I'm sure it was a hard time for that family. My family has been through hard things, and I think everyone's suffering is different."
