17 year old JoJo Siwa, known for her appearance on American TV show Dance Moms, social media presence and creator of JoJo bows, has recently come out to her fans online.
The teenager posted a photo of her on Twitter wearing a t-shirt with the words ‘Best. Gay. Cousin Ever,’ and received over a million likes from her fans. JoJo has had a lot of support from everyone, and on an Instagram live said she has “never ever been this happy,”. Due to the stigma around coming out to the world, JoJo had felt really scared before hand, but after all the lovely messages she had been sent, she felt as though the stigma is gradually beginning to fade.
After leaving the show Dance Moms when she was younger, JoJo has built up a massive following on social media and has a popular YouTube channel, which is mainly targeted towards younger viewers. Her bright and colourful image has gained her a lot of recognition, and after releasing her range of JoJo bows in outlets such as Claire’s accessories and a lot of supermarkets in America, she has made a lot of money for herself.
The teen has not yet put a definitive label on her sexuality, as she doesn’t feel as though this is important and said she wants to “keep things in my life private until they are ready to be public,”. With such a big social media following, it is difficult to live your life without sharing a lot of what you get up to with your followers. Therefore YouTubers often feel pressured into sharing information about themselves before they feel ready.
JoJo’s content is kept PG with fun and friendly videos for her subscribers, and by openly sharing about her sexuality, documenting her career and the merchandise she has created… she is both inspirational and sets a good example for her audience. Although she wouldn’t appeal to everyone, with her loud and bubbly personality and bright sense of style, many children love her and see her as a real star.