Cara Delevingne: Growing up Queer Was ‘Isolating and Hard to Navigate'

Cara Delevingne is opening up more and more about her experiences with identity, and a recent interview with both of her sisters in The Times is shedding even more light on what figuring herself out has been like.

“Growing up as a queer child was isolating and hard to navigate at times,” she said. “My sisters did their best to be there for me but it was something I had to go through myself to truly know who I was. I’m still on that journey and will continue to be for the rest of my life.”

The model-turned-actress previously labeled her sexuality as pansexual, and has been romantically linked to several high profile women in the past.

But while she’s been seen as a champion for LGBTQ rights and a shining example of being out and proud even when people use that to threaten her career, Delevingne has also spoken in the past about how difficult it’s been at times.

In an episode of the Goop podcast last year, she admitted that she struggled with internalized homophobia growing up, and said that she correlates “the massive depression and the suicidal moments of my life [to that] because I was so ashamed of ever being that.”

It’s a relatable struggle for many people who grew up surrounded by family, community, or society at large that erred towards homophobia and heteronormativity. But Cara is showing that overcoming those internal doubts, and learning to live with whatever small fragments remain, is more than possible.

“As a model, I always felt like I was acting. I was constantly trying to fit a mold, but with acting I’ve been able to understand and navigate my own relationship with emotions,” she told The Times.

And her sisters, Poppy and Chloe, who were also interviewed for the piece, are right there offering support.

“I feel proud of the way she speaks up about mental health or sexual orientation,” Chloe said. “Especially coming from the upbringing we had.”