JoJo Siwa opens up to Ellen DeGeneres about being labeled a ‘gay icon’

JoJo Siwa is honored to be seen as a gay icon after she came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in January.

The Dancing With The Stars contestant, who recently split from her girlfriend Kylie Prew, revealed her joy at being spoken about alongside other important names within the community during her appearance on Thursday’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The 18-year-old gushed: ‘It’s wild to me, I think because I look at people who are called gay icons – you, Lady Gaga, Freddie Mercury, my favorite people – and to be in that category, at 18, is just insane.

‘It’s just because of who I am. It feels amazing,’ before telling a story about others who have called her a gay icon.’

She continued: ‘One thing that just happened a few days ago was I was explaining to my dancers that are gonna be coming on tour with me… I was explaining to them what my concert was like.

‘I was like, “Think of it as four-year-olds… and gay 19-year-olds. It’s like KidzBop meets Pride Fest”.’

JoJo Siwa is delighted to be an icon for young members of the LGBTQ+ community (Picture: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

The YouTuber added later in the chat: ‘I am so happy with the outcome of me coming out.

‘The world has taken it so positively, and it’s impacted so many young kids in such a way that hearing adults say, “I wish I had someone like you when I was little,” that makes me know the kids that are little have someone like me, too.’

The 18-year-old has made history with a same-sex partner, Jenna Johnson, on Dancing With The Stars (Picture: ABC/Eric McCandless)

JoJo previously joked that telling her mother she was ditching her iconic hair bows was harder than coming out.

She said: ‘I just had my 18th birthday and it was right around my birthday that I realised, “I kinda wanna do my hair different today”.’

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In a TikTok video, JoJo lip-synced to Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like A Woman in her signature bedazzled jacket and with a rainbow bow attached to her ponytail, before she switched to a graphic white tee and wearing her hair down.

Considering JoJo’s mother Jessalyn was the one to dye her daughter’s hair blonde and introduce her to her signature bows, it’s understandable that the teen was worried about telling her mum she wanted to switch it up.

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