JoJo Siwa Reflects on Gay Icon Status & Being Called a Lesbian

JoJo Siwa is opening up about being the queer face of a generation, and how she feels about the word “lesbian.”

Jumping from Dance Moms to making music to judging reality shows to having her own reality show – and everything else in between – has kept Siwa busy over the years. But when she came out in early 2021, it became apparent that she was also taking the time to get to know herself on a personal level as well.

After a year and a half of being out, Siwa has been fully embracing her place within the LGBTQ+ community, with many of her fans and peers welcoming her with open arms. And that isn’t something Siwa takes lightly.

“It’s not about being comfortable with being the face of the LGBTQ young demographic,” she told Yahoo Life recently. “It’s about being honored with that. It’s something that I’ve been appointed by, not myself, by just the world calling me a gay icon, calling me this generation’s icon. That is an honor I do not take lightly.”

Last year, several months after coming out, Siwa talked about not really wanting to put a label on her sexuality. At the time, she also expressed her preference for the word “queer” and suggested that “pansexual” might “technically” be the best fit for her.

It now seems like she’s feeling a little more comfortable higher up on the Kinsey scale, but would still rather not identify explicitly as a lesbian.

“I don’t like the word itself,” she said. “It’s just, like, a lot. But I mean, at the end of the day, that’s what I am.”

Regardless of which terms make Siwa the most comfortable to identify herself with — something that is totally within her right to choose — it’s clear that this generation has a strong queer role model in Siwa who isn’t afraid of figuring things out as she lives her authentic life.

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