Graphic by Rachel Carp.
When I first heard the name Jojo Siwa, I had to make sure it wasn’t the JoJo who sang “Leave (Get Out).” If you’ve never heard that song, I’m sorry, but to be fair, I hadn’t heard of Jojo Siwa until a few weeks ago. She’s a 17-year-old YouTuber with her own music, clothing line and books. Time Magazine named her in their list of 100 Most Influential People for 2020. As of this writing, she has 12 million subscribers. In today’s children’s entertainment, she’s one of the most successful personalities.
On Jan. 22, Siwa posted to her Twitter a picture of her wearing a shirt reading, “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.” The reaction was immediate. Many congratulated her and praised her for coming out, but she couldn’t guarantee such a reaction. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Siwa said, “If I lost everything that I’ve created because of being myself and because of loving who I want to love, I don’t want it.”
Now, I have never watched her videos, but hearing her talk so openly and joyfully about her identity struck a chord. It was a risk for her to come out, especially as someone many kids look up to. How would parents react? How many kids will hear her talk about her girlfriend and how happy she makes her? How many little girls will see that it’s OK to like other girls?
Just four years ago, Ellen Degeneres marked the 20th anniversary of her coming out, paving the way for other members of the community like Siwa. At the time, Degerenes was acting in her sitcom “Ellen,” and, after coming out herself, her character’s coming out episode was watched by about 44 million people according to Vanity Fair. The show’s producer, Mark Driscoll, said, “Ellen was so loved by audiences; she was so much the girl next door and so sweet. She was the perfect person to dispel people’s fears about what a gay woman might be like.”
The backlash to Degerenes’ coming out was immediate and intense. There were rumors before they filmed the episode that her character was gay, prompting death threats from viewers. During filming, they repeatedly swept for bombs. The risk to come out is still high, but Siwa is largely spared from the public hatred Degerenes had.
It’s a testament to the fight for LGBT rights that so much has changed in 24 years. Siwa can post videos of her laughing with her girlfriend to the support of thousands. Her feelings don’t have to be a hushed topic — they don’t even have to be a topic at all. There doesn’t need to be an explanation for why someone loves who they love.
Speaking on the phone with her girlfriend, Siwa said what everyone deserves to feel about their sexuality, “I’m just so happy.”
