Bisexuality and pansexuality are often dismissed as not real, sometimes even within the LGBTQ+ community. People who are attracted to more than one gender are often told that they’re greedy, indecisive or even untrustworthy. Some of our favorite celebs, however, are becoming role models for bi and pansexual people everywhere and slashing those stereotypes. Check out our favorite famous women breaking the stigma around bisexuality!
1. Margaret Cho
“I think I would like to call myself bisexual more frequently because there is much invisibility for the ‘B’s in the LGBT community,” Cho said in a an article on The Huffington Post. “Gays and lesbians might assume that we are not homosexual enough, and straight people might assume that we are in porn.”
2. Amber Heard
The actress came out publicly in 2010 and told ELLE magazine, “I’m not, and wasn’t ever, ashamed.”
3. Anna Paquin
This True Blood star doesn’t want to be defined by her sexuality, but has defended her bisexuality from critics who dismiss it: “It’s not being greedy or numerous other ignorant things I’ve heard at this point. For a bisexual, it’s not about gender. That’s not the deciding factor for who they’re attracted to.”
4. Azealia Banks
This rapper, also known as Yung Rapunxel, is open about her sexuality but doesn’t want to be defined by it, saying, “I have people say to me, ‘Oh wow, my friend is gay, too,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, so?’”
5. Angelina Jolie
The Maleficent star has always been open about her relationships with women, but said she was “surprised” when she first had feelings for a woman that she “always had for men.”
6. Sapphire
The author of Push, which the film Precious is based on, knows the importance of representation and openly identifies as bisexual.
7. Evan Rachel Wood
This actress, who struggled to come to terms with her sexuality, came out in 2012 so she could “help another struggling, terrified 12-year-old know it’s okay.”
8. Kesha
This pop star isn’t interested in labels and says, “I don’t love just men. I love people. It’s not about a gender. It’s just about the spirit that exudes from that other person you’re with.” She is also passionate about preventing LGBTQ kids from being bullied.
9. Drew Barrymore
Barrymore came out in 2003, saying she loves women and men. “I think a woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful,” she said. “Being with a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else.”
Without role models in the media, it can be difficult to accept who you are. That’s why these women are so important; they give collegiettes everywhere the confidence they need to flourish, no matter whom they love!