When Amandla Stenberg was just 17 years old, she came out as a bisexual woman. She had been thinking about her sexuality for some time, it seemed, and she wanted people to know how she identified. Then a few months ago, she “came out” again to say that no, she’s actually a gay woman, not bisexual. I didn’t even cover it because A) it’s her business not mine and B) I didn’t really feel like it was breaking news. She’s a bright young woman and she really gives a lot of thought to how she presents herself and what she says to her peers and to the younger girls who love her. I admired how open she was being, but I just also thought that within Amandla’s generation, the whole “coming out twice” thing was probably not news. Anyway, she covers the October issue of Seventeen to promote The Hate U Give, and she chats about gender and sexuality and a lot of other stuff. Some highlights:

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.”

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 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.”

[From Seventeen]

I like what she says about figuring out her sexuality over time and that it took her a few years to work it out. I think that’s normal too, especially for people in the public eye. It’s sad that Amandla won’t be held up as a bisexual icon, but she’ll still be a queer icon for a new generation. I also love what she says about “unlearning” things, pervasive, insidious things about race. She’s a smart cookie.

Cover and photos courtesy of Silja Magg for Seventeen, sent from promotional Seventeen email.