8 Times Film Stars Took On Social 'Norms' On Sexuality

Hollywood storylines, much like real life, have long been plagued by a push towards the standard husband and wife nuclear family. All the while husband/husband or wife/wife relationships have more or less been hidden or considered taboo.

In reality, too, film stars have had to contend with questioning about their relationships. It's a tricky situation that befalls all celebrities, heterosexual or otherwise, but it can be particularly troublesome for those who aren't in what showbiz considers a "conventional" relationship. Public image, it would appear, often trumps honesty and inclusivity.

Yet, things are slowly but surely getting better. Film stars, screenwriters and film directors alike are showing the world that LGBT people and their partners deserve as much respect and freedom to love as straight people. Whether it's through beautiful film storylines about gay couples, or earnestly talking about their sexuality in interviews, film stars are challenging society's perceived 'norms' on sexuality.

Cara Delevingne has attracted a lot of media attention, through her career as a model and now as an actor. This includes the time she was the subject of an in-depth cover story for Vogue and the writer foolishly described her bisexuality as a “phase”. Delevigne eloquently corrected this in an interview with The New York Times.

Bisexual people often have a harder time than most when it comes to getting others to accept their sexuality. Some look at it as a case of the person not 'picking a side', as Vogue writer Rob Haskell demonstrated when his article suggested women are “a phase” for Delevingne.

The actress handled this in a passive way in her separate NYT interview. She highlighted the misunderstanding that outsiders often have when she said she felt “nothing malicious” was meant by the Vogue article, yet she also confirmed “My sexuality is not a phase. I am who I am.”