"I believe every American should be allowed the same rights and civil liberties," the star has said

When Miley Cyrus discussed the fluidity of her sexuality earlier this week, some were shocked.

In an interview with the Associated Press, she revealed that not all of her relationships have been “straight” or “heterosexual.”

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But to her fans, the singer’s open-mindedness is nothing new. Cyrus, 22, has been an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights for years, and the creation of her Happy Hippie Foundation is just the latest way she’s showing her support.

“I didn’t want to be a boy,” she explained to Out magazine of her past struggles with her gender identity. “I kind of wanted to be nothing. I don’t relate to what people would say defines a girl or a boy, and I think that’s what I had to understand: Being a girl isn’t what I hate, it’s the box that I get put into.”

Back in 2012, the star’s stance on same-sex marriage landed her in hot water with her more conservative fans – but she didn’t back down, defending her “All LOVE is equal” tattoo.

“A lot of people mocked me – they said, ‘What happened to you? You used to be a Christian girl!’ ” Cyrus wrote in an essay for Glamour. “And I said, ‘Well, if you were a true Christian, you would have your facts straight. Christianity is about love.’ ”

“I believe every American should be allowed the same rights and civil liberties. Without legalized same-sex marriage, most of the time you cannot share the same health benefits, you are not considered next of kin and you are not granted the same securities as a heterosexual couple. How is this different than having someone sit in the back of the bus because of their skin color?”

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The Happy Hippie Foundation also helps homeless youth, a cause Cyrus showed the world is near and dear to her heart at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. Cyrus asked Jesse Helt, a homeless friend and her date for the evening, to take the stage and accept her award for video of the year.