At only 17 years old, JoJo Siwa is already hugely successful. She has millions of followers on social media, has performed her songs all over the world, is signed with Nickelodeon and was included on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. Her content is predominantly aimed at children so up until recently I was not too familiar with her but she was recently brought to my attention after a TikTok she posted went viral.
The teenager uploaded a video of herself this week, lip-syncing the lines “No matter gay, straight, or bi, Lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track baby, I was born to survive / No matter black, white or beige, Chola or orient made, I’m on the right track baby, I was born to be brave.” from Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’. Fans and celebrities speculated whether Siwa was dropping hints in this video and their suspicions were confirmed when she posted a simple photo on Twitter of her wearing a shirt that said “BEST. GAY. COUSIN. EVER.”
My cousin got me a new shirt pic.twitter.com/DuHhgRto7b
— JoJo Siwa!🌈❤️🎀 (@itsjojosiwa) January 22, 2021
Who is JoJo Siwa?
Siwa is one of the biggest names in children’s entertainment and is recognisable for always being unapologetically herself. Her trademark hairbows and vibrant, sequined clothing have resulted in her receiving lots of comments telling her to act her own age. Siwa is no stranger to online hate and would be aware of the unfortunate amount of trolls she may have to face after coming out. However, Siwa prides herself on being true to who she is and as she says, in her popular song “Boomerang“, she “won’t let the haters get their way” and her bravery has been commended by numerous fans and celebrities on Twitter.
“Siwa has decided to leave her sexuality unlabelled for the time being which normalises the process of coming out”
The impact of JoJo’s announcement will be huge, not only for the LGBTQIA+ community but for everyone. Siwa is a figure known by almost every child, someone that is familiar, trusted and loved, and for these children to be able to see someone they idolise coming out as LGBTQIA+ will remove the uncertainty and unfamiliarity that can often, unfortunately, surround the community. It will lead to questions, education and normalisation of LGBTQIA+ people for children. Furthermore, Siwa has decided to leave her sexuality unlabelled for the time being which normalises the process of coming out and validates those who do not feel they currently fit a label or those who do not want to label themselves. Young people who are confused or scared about their sexuality will now have a role model who they can relate to and see themselves in.
Welcome representation in children’s media
We are slowly gaining more LGBTQIA+ representation in the media but representation is very thin for children. You will occasionally see a couple of gay dads or a minor character who is LGBTQIA+ but these are far and few between, often just there to address the diversity problems. There is a distinct lack of what I would call casually queer characters, characters who identify as LGBTQIA+ without it being the only focus of their storylines, across all media but they are virtually non-existent for children. Siwa’s career centres on her passion for singing, dancing and fashion, whilst she shares her life for everyone to see. I hope that she continues to do what she loves whilst spreading the message to love who you love.
“JoJo, we are so proud of you and grateful that you are able to live your truth”
Coming out is a daunting experience for anyone, even more so if the whole world is watching you. Siwa’s bravery will encourage individuals of all ages to be true to themselves and feel less alienated in an aggressively heteronormative society. It will likely spark discussions at home and in schools about what LGBTQIA+ means and enable children to be better educated and exposed to the queer community. Naturally, coming out is very important to JoJo herself but its significance for queer children across the world is incredible.
So, I think I speak for us all when I say, JoJo, we are so proud of you and grateful that you are able to live your truth and honoured that you chose to share it with the world, becoming a much needed LGBTQIA+ role model for children.
Ella Gilbert
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Featured image courtesy of Mercedes Mehling on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Ella Gilbert
Ella is History and Spanish student at the University of Sheffield. She is the social media manager for Empoword and a keen writer for various publications. When not writing or studying (which is far more often than she'd like to admit), you can find her exploring the outdoors, going out for drinks with friends, or in bed with Netflix and TikTok.