Keke Palmer On Her Sexuality: "I Always Felt Like I Was A Little Bit Of Everything"

The main focus in Keke Palmer's life as of late has been her son, Leodis. She and her boyfriend Darius Jackson welcomed the little one earlier this year. Motherhood has, of course, come with its share of tough moments and lessons. Still, the former Disney star continues to carry herself with confidence and optimism. As she inches closer to resuming work as an actress and entertainer, Palmer is being formally recognized for her various contributions. Most recently, the LGBTQ community is singing her praises. As Variety notes, she was honoured on Saturday (April 22) with a Vanguard Award from the Los Angeles LGBT Center, presented to her by Queer Eye star Karamo Brown.

"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," the Chicago native gushed on stage this weekend. "I’ve always been my own person. Sexuality and identity for me has always been confusion. 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," she additionally expressed.

Elsewhere in her speech, Palmer spoke about "leading with masculinity" in life. According to her, this is something that has impacted her career and personal life. "As a woman, I’ve always been met with so much disdain. You know what I mean?" the multi-talent asked the audience. "I 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."

Following the ceremony, Keke Palmer shared a heartfelt Instagram photo dump on Sunday (April 23), further reflecting on what the Vanguard Award means to her. "It was such a gift to be in a room, being celebrated for being exactly who I am. I am so grateful you guys to be living in this time, where yes there is still so much work to do, but dammit we doing it!" she proudly exclaimed. "I am truly filled with so much gratitude, I tried so hard not to ruin my makeup but the tear ducts were giving out." Read everything the 29-year-old had to say on social media below and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

[Via]