Junior visual communication and design major Miranda Thompson had her first kiss with a girl on the playground, but it took her several years to realize that she identified as bisexual.

“I didn’t really get it at first because my first kiss was a girl, but I didn’t think anything of it,” Thompson said. “I thought girls were super gay in general. I was like, ‘Oh, this is how girls act.’”

Thompson identifies as bisexual and panromantic, meaning she feels sexual attraction to men and women, but romantic attraction to people of any gender.

“Romantic attraction is when you want to hang out or go on dates and be really close,” Thompson said. “(It’s) kind of one step further from friendship: you feel love for them in your heart but not sexual attraction in the bedroom.”

Though Thompson identifies as bisexual, she said she feels open to dating people of other genders despite having little experience with it.

“If I were to date somebody who is transgender or something along those lines, it would probably be the same curiosity,” Thompson said.

Thompson said she needs to get to know a person emotionally before feeling a strong sexual attraction.

“I don’t like (sex) until I’m emotionally ready,” Thompson said. “I have to really really really really like them in order to do that, or else I’m really uncomfortable.”

Thompson said a lot of people struggle to understand her sexuality.

“Bisexuals and transgender people get the most shit,” Thompson said.

Gay people receive the most widespread acceptance, Thompson said, because people understand it more than other sexualities and gender identities.

“With bisexuality, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re dating a guy, so are you straight now?’” Thompson said. “I like both. I’ve always liked both. Dating one or the other, it’s not going to change.”

Growing up, Thompson also experienced internalized homophobia.

“We grew up to be homophobic because my mom was super against gays,” Thompson said. “So I was like, ‘I’m not gay, gay is gross.’”

In 10th grade, Thompson said her mother confronted her about her sexuality.

“We were clothes shopping and in the car she was like, ‘You know you can get STDs from dating girls, right?’” Thompson said.

When Thompson revealed her sexuality to her mother, she said her mother responded, “I’m so disappointed in you.”

“My mom was upset, and I explained to her that some people like ice cream, and some people like cookies. (But) some people like cookies and ice cream,” Thompson said. “That’s what gay is. You like what you like. You can’t really help it.”

In relationships, however, Thompson’s partners typically invalidate her race more than her sexuality.

Thompson said her partners have told her things like, “You’re the first black girl I’ve ever dated,” or, “You’re not as black as other black girls; you act more white.”

“I don’t know how to feel, because great, you like me, but am I representing every black person now?” Thompson said.

Thompson said she thinks people have misconceptions about her race because of the media and popular stereotypes.

“I feel like black has such a negative correlation with it because of the stuff surrounding it,” Thompson said. “There’s stuff like that going on in every culture. There are KKK leaders, and they’re white, so do I go around thinking everyone’s a white supremacist? No.”

When met with these stereotypes, Thompson said she tries to take the opportunity to change people’s perspectives.

“I’m like, ‘Listen, you’ve got to drop all of those stereotypes you have about people,’” Thompson said. “You have to give people a chance. You can’t just have these preconceived notions and live your life like that.”

Carrie George is the is the administration and diversity reporter. Contact her at [email protected].