JoJo Siwa's recent coming out was just as joyful and sparkly as her signature bows. "Personally, I have never ever been this happy," she said in an Instagram video where shared that she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. And that says a lot coming from the Teen Queen of Joy.
"Now that the world gets to see this side of my life, it makes me really, really happy," she continued. "Now that I got to share that with the world, it's awesome…I want people to know that there is so much love in the world and it is so incredible!"
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Initially, the 17-year-old performer and YouTuber appeared to share news about her sexual orientation when she posted a video to her TikTok on January 20 of her lip-synching to Lady Gaga's “Born This Way." Soon after, Kent Boyd, a member of the LGBTQ TikTok group Pride House, posted a video of the group dancing with JoJo to Paramore's “Ain't it Fun" and underscoring the lyrics “now you're one of us.” Then, on 22nd January, Siwa posted a photo on her Twitter account of a shirt her cousin gave her that read, "Best. Gay. Cousin Ever."
@kentboyd_ Now your one of us!! @itsjojosiwa @molleegray @garrettclayton91 @jekajane #pridehousela
♬ now ur one of us - Mia Mugavero
After Siwa confirmed the speculation on Instagram live, she said she had mostly received "the most endless amount of love and support."
Recently, however, Siwa responded to a hateful comment under one of her photos from a fan who wasn't as supportive. "My daughter will never watch you again," they wrote.
"OK!" Siwa simply replied to the seemingly homophobic comment. Neither her coming out nor her sexual orientation changes the fact that she has been and will continue to be a model for millions of young people.
The colourful star has never been one to let the haters get her down. She's often been criticised for not "acting her age" because of her whimsical aesthetics and the young demographic to which much of her content appeals. But her response is always about self-love, and that she's content with herself. Her 2016 hit "Boomerang" expresses just that: "I don't really care about what they say/ I'm a come back like a boomerang /Won't let the haters get their way /I'm a come back like a boomerang."
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Some asked to "label" her sexuality, but Siwa said she's keeping that part of her journey private for now.
"Somebody said, 'What label are you?' And you know, I have thought about this and the reason I am not ready to say this answer is because I really don't know this answer," Siwa shared. "I think humans are awesome. I think humans are really incredible people.... I always believed that my person was just going to be my person," she added. "If that person happened to be a boy, then great. If that person happened to be a girl, great."
At the end of the day, how Siwa defines herself is her business. OK? OK!