Miley Cyrus' first relationship was "with a chick".
Miley Cyrus
The 'Wrecking Ball' hitmaker - who is in a relationship with Liam Hemsworth - identifies as pansexual, but admitted she "didn't understand" her own gender or sexuality when she was growing up.
She said: "My whole life, I didn't understand my own gender and my own sexuality. 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 sexualised to me.
"My eyes started opening in the fifth or sixth grade. My first relationship in my life was with a chick. I grew up in a very religious Southern family. 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."
But Miley didn't understand herself as pansexual, meaning she is attracted to people regardless of their gender or sexuality, until she was older and identified with someone else who felt the same.
Asked when she first identified as pansexual, she told Variety magazine: "I think when I figured out what it was. I went to the LGBTQ center here in LA, and 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.' "
The 23-year-old star has never "related" to "loving being a girl" and doesn't enjoy taking care of her appearance.
She said: "My mom is like an '80s rock chick -- big blonde hair, big boobs. She loves being a girl. I never felt that way.
"I know some girls that love getting their nails done. I f***ing hated it. My nails look like s**t. I don't wax my eyebrows. I never related to loving being a girl.
"And then, being a boy didn't sound fun to me.
"I think the LGBTQ alphabet could continue forever. But there's a 'P' that should happen, for 'pansexual'."
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