JoJo Siwa, the former child star who rose to fame through Dance Moms, is once again making headlines—but this time, it’s about something deeply personal. Now 21 years old and currently a contestant on the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother, JoJo is opening up about her evolving identity in a way that’s both raw and relatable. While she has publicly identified as a lesbian for several years, she’s now embracing a new label—one that feels more aligned with her sense of self: queer.
During a candid moment on a livestream from inside the Big Brother house, JoJo sat down with fellow contestant and drag performer Danny Beard. The two had a heartfelt discussion about identity and labels, and JoJo revealed something that she herself was only just coming to terms with. “I feel, like, so queer, do you know what I mean?” she said, reflecting aloud. “I think that’s the thing. I’ve always told myself I’m a lesbian, and I think being here I’ve realized: ‘Oh, I’m not a lesbian, I’m queer,’ and I think that’s really cool.”
Her tone was one of self-discovery rather than uncertainty. She even made light of the change with a humorous quip: “I’m switching letters! F**k the L, I’m going to the Q! That’s what I love about s*xuality.” Danny responded with a smile, adding, “And you know that British people love a queue!”—a playful pun that underscored their camaraderie.
This wasn’t JoJo’s first time discussing her sexuality on the show. In a prior episode, actor Mickey Rourke asked her directly whether she was interested in “boys or girls.” JoJo responded confidently, “Me? Girls. My partner is nonbinary,” referencing her relationship with DJ and actor Kath Ebbs.
However, the conversation took a troubling turn soon after. Rourke began making homophobic remarks aimed at JoJo, reportedly saying things like “vote the lesbian out” and using derogatory slurs. He even told her, “If I stay longer than four days, you won’t be gay anymore.” JoJo didn’t hesitate to respond. “I can guarantee I’ll still be gay, and I’ll still be in a very happy relationship,” she fired back. Her grace and confidence stood in stark contrast to the hostility.
Ultimately, Big Brother intervened. Mickey Rourke received a formal warning and was eventually asked to leave the competition. The show’s producers also brought JoJo in for a private conversation after they detected what they described as a “secret message” between her and another contestant, Chris Hughes. Coded communication is a violation of the show’s rules, and JoJo was asked to explain what the message meant. What followed was an emotional moment of vulnerability.
Through tears, JoJo revealed that the message had to do with her gender identity—something she admitted she wasn’t ready to talk about publicly. “It’s something that I’m not ready, necessarily, to be open about or upfront about, but it has to do with gender and how do I feel. Let’s put it this way… Oh my god, this is a lot…” she said, her voice trembling.
JoJo continued, sharing that she isn’t exactly sure how she identifies in terms of gender at the moment. “It’s OK to not know,” she emphasized. She described feeling different from both females and males, saying, “I’ve met a lot of females, love them, don’t feel like them. Met a lot of males, love them, definitely not them.” It’s among the nonbinary individuals she’s encountered that she’s felt the strongest sense of belonging. “These beautiful nonbinary people are who I feel the most like,” she shared. “I don’t know, it’s not something I want to say about myself yet, but it’s something that is confusing and that’s probably why we were talking about it last night.”
Throughout her journey, JoJo has remained focused on honesty. “It’s important to be honest, and I think it’s important to also show that it’s OK to not know,” she said. Her openness on national television has offered a powerful reminder that identity is a personal journey—and it doesn’t always come with neat, pre-packaged answers.
JoJo Siwa has been in the public eye for most of her life. From her sparkly bows to her high-energy performances, she became a household name at a young age. In 2021, she publicly came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community by sharing a photo of herself in a shirt that read “BEST GAY COUSIN EVER.” In an interview with People magazine not long after, she admitted she still wasn’t entirely sure about the right label. “I still don’t know what I am,” she said. “It’s like, I want to figure it out. But like, I don’t know—bisexual, pansexual, queer, lesbian, gay, straight. I always just say gay because it just kind of covers it, or queer because I think the keyword is cool.”
At the time, she added, “I like queer. Technically I would say that I am pansexual because that’s how I have always been my whole life. Just like, my human is my human.” JoJo also said she’s known she wasn’t straight since she was very young and hinted that her love life has always played a significant role in shaping her public identity.
Last year, JoJo made waves again when she jokingly dubbed her music genre as “gay pop.” “I’m not the creator, I’m not the president,” she said, “but I might be the CEO or the CMO.”
Whether you agree with her choice of labels or not, one thing is clear: JoJo Siwa is navigating her identity with bravery, humor, and honesty. In doing so, she’s creating space for others to do the same. Share this story to open up the conversation—and let us know what you think in the comments on Facebook.
