Former Disney Channel actor Alyson Stoner has opened up about her struggle to embrace her sexuality in an essay.
In the piece published in Teen Vogue, Alyson described how she realised she was not attracted to just men after she became "mesmerised and intimidated" when she attended a dance workshop and met her female instructor.
"After I dizzied myself from doing knee spins, she walked toward me to correct my form,"she 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."
Post her class, Alyson texted her mother and her best friend, writing, "I met a woman today, I'm not sure who she is or what I'm feeling, but I think she's going to be in my life for a very long time."
The actor said as she got to know the dance instructor, she also struggled with her feelings that were not "quite sisterly or platonic."
"I realised I had never fantasised about a guy this way, nor really ever felt comfortable dating guys. Come to think of it, I stared at women's bodies more than anything. But wasn't that just societal conditioning or the unattainable beauty standards that fuel comparison and objectification? I refused to entertain other possibilities."
She struggled to accept her sexuality, admitting she had "internalised some of the harmful beliefs and misconceptions about LGBTQ people and identities."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content