YouTube sensation JoJo Siwa just came out as gay in the most low-key way
YouTube star JoJo Siwa has come out as gay in the most low-key way – and fans are overjoyed.
The 17-year-old officially came out on Twitter on Friday (22 January), sharing a photo of herself wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words: “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.”
JoJo Siwa shared the image with the caption: “My cousin got me a new shirt.”
The post has racked up more than 800,000 likes, and Siwa has been inundated with messages of love and support from her dedicated fanbase.
Thousands of Siwa’s fans rushed to congratulate her after she came out as gay, while many parents also thanked her for being a role model for queer teenagers.
As a mom of two little girls, who absolutely love Jojo, I could not be more proud of this! I'm so happy that my girls have someone so amazing to look up to! @itsjojosiwa ,thank you for always being unapologetically YOU! https://t.co/iLsN5i45jV
— MeggieJay (@JayMeggie) January 23, 2021
you’re inspiring MILLIONS!!! so happy and proud of you!! 🌈🌈🌈 https://t.co/yIa5YgSjlg— AlishaMarie (@ALISHAMARIE) January 23, 2021
Me now watching every performance jojo siwa has ever done pic.twitter.com/ibafyqF3a3— mommy (@Sadie97930260) January 23, 2021
idk but if i was 10 and saw jojo siwa coming out as gay …. the impact that would have on my mental health and confidence as a little girl who just knew she wasn’t straight.. i am so proud of jojo for always being herself and helping a new generation of kids be themselves too— kya (@softsadsatan) January 23, 2021
wish we all had a jojo siwa to look up to when we were little lgbtq+ kids🥺 https://t.co/vpBNiBwBEt
— raine (@ul4ne) January 23, 2021
https://twitter.com/emilyvmain/status/1352758771865571329
She also won praise from countless celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, Michelle Visage, Adam Rippon and Todrick Hall, with many sharing their joy that Siwa can be her authentic self.
https://twitter.com/michellevisage/status/1352760836612366336
https://twitter.com/todrick/status/1352801544094117889
WOW WE LOVE YOU 🥰🥰🥰— Adam Rippon (@AdamRippon) January 23, 2021
https://twitter.com/MisterPreda/status/1352758938798678016
❤️— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) January 23, 2021
Paris Hilton also shared her love for Siwa, sharing the YouTuber’s tweet on her Instagram Stories and writing: “Love you JoJo Siwa. I’m so proud of you sis!”
Tana Mongeau also praised Siwa on Instagram, writing: “She changed history today for the future of LGBTQ youth.”
Fans were convinced JoJo Siwa came out as gay with a Lady Gaga lip-sync.
Siwa, who has more than 12 million subscribers on YouTube, sparked speculation that she was coming out as gay when she shared a video of herself lip-syncing to “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga on TikTok on Thursday (21 January).
She also joined LGBT+ TikTokers Mollee Gray, Jeka Jane, Garrett Clayton and Kent Boyd at the queer TikTok house, and performed a dance to Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun”, prompting fans to believe that Siwa was dropping some major hints about her sexuality.
JoJo Siwa has been loved by the LGBT+ community since long before she publicly came out as gay. She was described as a “gay icon” by drag queens Izzy Uncut and Poppy, and she was delighted with the label.
When asked how she felt about being a gay icon, Siwa responded: “Thank you! I love it.”
She went on to explain that she wants everyone to feel comfortable around her, and that she loves and supports everyone, with no exceptions.