<a href="https://vt.co/entertainment/keke-palmer-defends-baby-boys-name-after-its-criticized-by-trolls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keke Palmer</a> has opened up about her gender and sexuality, telling fans that she "always felt like I was a little bit of everything." On Saturday, the 29-year-old was presented with a Vanguard Award by the Los Angeles LGBT Center during their annual event which took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel. Palmer gave a speech in which she got candid about her experiences regarding both gender and sexuality. "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 actress said after she was handed the award by Karamo Brown. "I’ve always been my own person. Sexuality and identity for me has always been confusion." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/CrY0DhIJriE/]] "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,'" she continued. "You know, I always felt like I was a little bit of everything." The Alice star then went on to say that as a woman, leading with more "masculine" qualities was often a concept that was met with hostility. "...I lead with masculinity. And as a woman, I’ve always been met with so much disdain, you know what I mean?" Palmer said. "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." Check out Palmer's tearful speech below: [[jwplayerwidget||https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/dPsqTsYK-dkXnENEs.mp4||dPsqTsYK]] The 29-year-old continued delivering her speech while holding back tears. "Why did my gender have to define the power I have in the world? And why does my gender get to decide my sexuality?" she asked. "You know, since I was younger, I always questioned the boxes I was forced to be in and it starts with who you’re supposed to be as a child. You’re supposed to be as a Black person or whatever the background you are from... Then those walls just try to cave you in from every damn angle, who you are as a creative, who you are as a friend." "I’m truly so grateful to be seen in this room because I know I’m surrounded by people who know without a doubt what it’s like to decide to be who you are in a world that tells you to be everything but yourself," the actress added. <img class="wp-image-1263207931 size-large" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/04/2PP99C6-1024x764.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="764" />[[imagecaption|| Pamela Anderson arrives at The Los Angeles LGBT Center Gala held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Credit: Sipa US / Alamy]] Elsewhere, fellow actress <a href="https://vt.co/entertainment/pamela-andersons-childhood-dream-was-to-be-a-nun-or-a-librarian-before-ending-up-in-playboy">Pamela Anderson</a> also received a Vanguard recognition. The 55-year-old, who was the subject of the recent Netflix documentary Pamela: A Love Story, thanked the center and the wider queer community for accepting her, saying: "I am rooting for you. Thank you for rooting for me." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/CrXm0v5ohB_/]] The gala, which returned after a four-year hiatus, typically sees a host of celebrities band together to raise money for youth services, culture and culinary programs and mental health resources. As per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/keke-palmer-sexuality-identity-confusion-lgbt-center-1235399720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a>, this year, the fundraiser managed to raise a total of $1.2 million. Other guests in attendance also included Adam Lambert, Sarah Hyland, Madison Bailey, Colton Haynes, Orville Peck and Karamo Brown. <h6>Featured Image Credit: Stephen Chung / Alamy</h6>

Keke Palmer opens up about her gender and sexuality: 'I always felt like I was a little bit of everything'

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