“Girl We Been Knew”: Amandla Stenberg Tells Seventeen Magazine She Chuckled At People’s Reactions To Her Queer News

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Amandla Stenberg Talks To Seventeen Magazine About Body Confidence, Sexuality And Being Natural

Congratulations to Amandla Stenberg, who is gracing the cover of Seventeen Magazine’s October/November Issue.

Amandla Stenberg has been called a lot of things by a lot of people. She’s an “intersectional feminist superstar,” “the voice of a generation,” and whom Beyoncé wants Blue Ivy to be like when she grows up. Amandla, who turns 20 in October, is all of those things—as well as an actress (in films like The Hunger Games; Everything, Everything; and The Darkest Minds); a fighter for social justice (her video “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows” started a Tumblr storm about cultural appropriation in 2015); and an important voice in the conversation about gender and sexuality. Soon, she’ll take on her most meaningful—and controversial—role yet: gutsy Starr Carter in The Hate U Give (out October 19), based on Angie Thomas’s best-selling novel about a teen who witnesses her friend get shot by a police officer.

Check out some dope quotes from Amandla about her thoughts on body confidence, sexuality and more when you continue.

On body confidence:

“Being in entertainment can be hard—if you were to meet actors in real life, you’d probably be surprised at how tiny they are. I’m not a hella-skinny person—I’m petite, but I’m low-key slim-thick—and I’ve had people put pressure on me to lose weight or oversexualize my body because it doesn’t look infantile. People often say my boobs are too big. There have been several moments when I was filming a scene and someone came over with a small sports bra and said, “Put this on real quick. Your boobs look too big on camera.” You’re conceived of as too much if you have, like, thighs. It’s ridiculous! I try to only work in spaces now that make me feel comfortable. It’s challenging, but I’d rather be healthy and happy and love my body.”

On self-discovery and coming out twice:

“Gender and sexuality are so fluid—it’s okay to change your mind a million times and figure out what works for you. It’s okay to take your time… I’d been out as bisexual, and people have known I’m queer for a long time. I saw some comments that made me chuckle, like, “Girl, we been knew!” But I wanted to make it very clear that I have romantic love for women. I realized I had so much internalized homophobia and so much discomfort around hooking up with dudes. I always knew that when I hooked up with girls, it was the happiest I’d been in any sexual dynamic. I love that we have this umbrella term of queer, and so many things can exist underneath it, but I realized that part of my journey was hiding underneath that umbrella, because I was scared—on a personal and a public level—to confront what I was. It was easier for me to say “I’m bi” or “I’m pan” as I was figuring it out. But I came to a place where I felt really proud of my sexuality, and I decided I wanted to share that pride.”

Don’t you think this is something many women who identify as something other than heterosexual struggle with? There’s gotta be a lot of pressure to be bi or something more acceptable right.

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FASHION CREDITS

Fashion Editor: Yashua Simmons

COVER

Sweater: Juicy Bouture

Pants: Miaou

Earrings: Adina Reyter

Necklace: Vita Fede

Sneakers: Buffalo London x Opening Ceremony

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On what made playing Starr in The Hate U Give special:

“My experiences are really similar to Starr’s. I grew up in a lower-income black community [in Los Angeles], but I went to a white private school across town. I had to do this strange policing of myself to fit in: figure out what the white kids thought was cool and front a little when they talked about their vacations, houses, clothes, technology. Even if it wasn’t their intention, if you couldn’t participate in that culture, you were excluded. I also felt like there was an assumption that I was less smart, so I overcompensated in the classroom. By the end of high school, I’d figured out how to just do me.”

How many of you can relate to this? We’re so excited for this film!

Dress: Gypsy Sport

T-shirt: Maggie Marilyn

Pants: Maggie Marilyn

Hat: Nike

Ring: Sarah Chloe

Earring (left): Maya Brenner

Earring (right): Wolf Circus

Sneakers: Buffalo London

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On embracing her natural beauty:

“I’ve had to unlearn a lot, and I’m still unlearning things. I hated my hair growing up—I thought it was ugly. By the time I got to high school, I was using a relaxer. But when I was 16, I chopped off all the dead hair and started wearing it natural, and I realized that it was so beautiful and cool and versatile! Anti-black beauty standards are so pervasive. Fighting that requires constant unpacking and positive self-messaging, so of course I still have my moments when I feel insecure. But in those moments, I’m always [inspired] by the fact that being black is just so poppin’. The perspective, the culture, the family, the food…I love everything about being black.”

Everything about this is so dope. Black folks we gotta love OURSELVES!

Sweatshirt: Hilfiger Collection

Pants: Maggie Marilyn

Earring: Maya Brenner

Scrunchie: Urban Outfitters