In an op-ed published Saturday in Teen
Vogue, Disney Channel star Alyson Stoner talked about her
sexuality.
The 24-year-old Stoner is best known
for playing Max on Disney's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
and Sarah Baker in the family comedy film Cheaper by the Dozen.
In her essay titled “How I Embraced
my Sexual Identity,” Stoner describes meeting and falling in love
with a female dance instructor.
“After I dizzied myself from doing
knee spins, she walked toward me to correct my form,” Stoner wrote.
“My heart raced wildly and my body grew hot. Was I nervous to
fail in front of an expert? Was I breathing heavily from being out
of shape? Her smile was the most electrifying thing I'd ever seen.”
Eventually, Stoner and the instructor
started a relationship.
“I fell in love with a woman. … We
were an example of true love.”
Stoner confessed that she feared being
gay.
“I had internalized some of the
harmful beliefs and misconceptions about LGBTQ people and identities.
At the time, I thought… Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced
abuse from men and therefore I’m scared of intimacy with them (and
in general). Maybe it’s because open sexuality is prevalent in my
artistic community and I subconsciously just want to fit in,” she
wrote. “Maybe I actually want to be her, and I’m mistaking
idolization for romance. Anything besides being gay, please!”
She now identifies as bisexual.
“I can love people of every gender
identity and expression. It is the soul that captivates me. It is
the love we can build and the goodness we can contribute to the world
by supporting each other's best journeys,” she added.