Model Tess Holliday came out as pansexual in Nylon magazine’s July cover issue.
Holliday, 33, revealed her sexuality with a funny anecdote about a recent vacation to Mexico. The body-positive activist said she was sitting at the hotel’s pool bar when a man came up to her and asked: “Are you bi?”
“I said, ‘Thank you so much for asking. I’ve been thinking a lot about my relationship to my own queerness, and I think the word pansexual speaks to me more than bi does,’” Holliday told Nylon in an article published Monday.
Turns out, Holliday continued, that the man was a waiter and was simply asking “Are you buying?”
Holliday said that she feels more comfortable with herself now that she’s figured out she’s pansexual, which means she’s attracted to a person regardless of their sex or gender identity.
“I feel like a lot of stuff in my life now makes sense. A lot of the things that I felt when I was younger make sense. A lot of the relationships that I had make sense,” she said.
“I definitely have a sense of relief,” Holliday continued. “I can connect with people on a more intimate level than I was before because I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not.”
Earlier this week, Holliday posted a photo to Instagram wishing her followers a Happy Pride month.
“I’ve always been an ally for the LGBTQ community & I find myself trying to navigate my own sexual identity,” she wrote. “I’m still figuring out how I identify and that’s okay because everyone’s journey is different.”
Head over to Nylon to read Holliday’s full interview.