JoJo Siwa says it was 'easier' to come out at gay on social media than it was in person.
The dancer, singer, actor and YouTuber - who's real name Joelle Joanie Siwa - revealed she was gay back in 2021.
At the time, she hinted at her coming out in a TikTok video of her lip-syncing 'Born This Way', the 2011 smash hit by Lady Gaga.
That Friday, Siwa, who was 17-years-old, tweeted a photo of her wearing a t-shirt, which read: "Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever," alongside the caption: " My cousin got me a new shirt."
“Right now, what matters is that you guys know that no matter who you love, that it’s OK, that it’s awesome and that the world is there for you” Siwa said.
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“There’s so many people that are there for you.”
Fast forward to 2023, the YouTuber, 20, explained how social media was a 'safe space when I came out'.
She 'knew that even if everyone around [her] didn't support [her], that there was gonna be people online that did'.
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"And I knew that I was gonna find those people and I was really excited about that," she explained to E! News.
"I always told myself it was gonna be easier to come out online than it was in person."
"And I do believe that's very true."
Siwa says she is grateful for being able to create her own community.
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“It's been fun to be able to figure out what ways I get to be a part of that," she said.
"You know what I mean? How I fit into the piece of the puzzle there."
The singer previously admitted that she felt 'very behind' when it came to finding love while balancing the demands of fame.
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She told the We’re Having Gay Sex podcast: "I’m very behind in the world of love, because most people go to a freshmen dance and they go with a date.
"They go to homecoming with a different date. And then they go to prom 14 times... and they have a summer fling, and they have their hook up in the car in the school parking lot.
"I never had any of that. I feel like a lot of times, I’m an eighth grader in love land."
She also opened up on how hard it is to date when you're famous.
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"It’s hard for me. It’s hard for the person I’m dating or talking to, because I can’t do things. Like how most people can go on a dinner date, I can’t go on a dinner date normally," Siwa added.
Topics: Celebrity, LGBTQ, YouTube, Social Media
Anish Vij