JoJo Siwa opens up about being part of LGBTQ community: 'I am just so happy'

Online superstar JoJo Siwa has officially come out as a member of the LGBTQ community.

Siwa, 17, opened up in an Instagram livestream over the weekend about being "just so happy" after she received an outpouring of support for two posts she made earlier last week that seemed to indicate she had come out.

"Someone asked, 'How long have you been a part of the community? How long have you been whatever you are?' I don't know," Siwa said. "I think my whole life, because my whole life I have really really been just – I like people. But I never had fallen in love before, but I always believed my person was going to be my person. If that person happened to be a boy, then great. If that person happened to be a girl, great."

She added: "I'm the happiest that I've ever been, and that's what matters."

Siwa posted a video earlier this week on TikTok of her mouthing the lyrics to "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga, typically known as a LGBTQ anthem.

Then on Friday, she tweeted, "My cousin got me a new shirt," with a picture of herself in a T-shirt that reads "BEST. GAY. COUSIN. EVER."

USA TODAY has reached out to her representative for comment.

Siwa recalled a discussion with her parents in which her mom said she realized "about two years ago" that her daughter didn't "only like boys." Both her mom and dad were very supportive, Siwa added.

"Somebody asked, 'What label are you?' You know, I have thought about this, and the reason why I'm not ready to answer is because I don't really know this answer," she said. "I think humans are awesome. I think humans are really incredible people. I right now am super-duper happy and I want to share everything with the world, I really do, but I also want to keep things in my life private until they're ready to be public."

She added: "But right now what matters is that you guys know that no matter who you love, that it's OK. And that it's awesome. And that the world is there for you."

Throughout the livestream, Siwa beamed and reiterated to her fans how happy she was.

"No matter what, I love you guys. I have your backs for forever," she said. "If I could give you any advice, do whatever it is that makes you happy."

The Omaha, Nebraska native, born Joelle Joanie Siwa, is famous for her giant hair bows, sparkly outfits and larger-than-life personality, and she boasts millions of followers online. Across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, Siwa has racked up more than 42 million followers.

Fans were quick to celebrate the news across social media.

"jojo siwa coming out is so important.. her audience is younger and kids being able to look up to someone thats NOT straight could help them discover themselves and hopefully make future generations even more open-minded. this is a jojo siwa stan account" @sisterariola wrote. @bridgetsrose added: "jojo siwa coming out at what could be considered the peak of her career when her audience is mostly kids is such a power move and i respect her so much for that"

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said Siwa's "decision to share her truth with the world is a powerful moment that is being celebrated by the millions around the world who admire her. As one of the most influential young role models today, JoJo's story is a reminder for LGBTQ youth to love who they are and to find safe and welcoming environments to speak out."

The entertainment world initially met Siwa in 2013, when she appeared as a contestant on "Dance Moms" spinoff "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" before landing a role as a "Dance Moms" regular in 2015.

Abby Lee Miller, Siwa's former dance coach on "Dance Moms," wrote on Instagram in response to Siwa's coming out that she "always knew the world would be a more colorful, positive, sparkly place with a kind, loving, dazzling triple threat like you in it – a shining example for the kids out there to live their BEST lives each and every day."

In 2017, Nickelodeon signed Siwa to a talent deal, which led to 2018's animated series about her and her dog, "The JoJo and BowBow Show Show." She has also worked with Nick Cannon on "Lip Sync Battle Shorties" and lent her voice to last year's "Angry Birds" movie sequel.

Siwa was recently unmasked on "The Masked Singer," where she appeared as the T-Rex. Some clues about her background, like a plate of junk food seasoned with glitter, were dead giveaways for fans.

She has weathered several controversies within the last year. Most recently, Siwa addressed the Nickelodeon children's board game "JoJo's Juice," which features her likeness alongside what she called "gross" and "inappropriate content." She clarified that she "had no idea of the types of questions" were included.

Siwa defended her "NONSTOP" music video earlier this summer after a dancer was accused of wearing blackface.

"We’re talking about kids dressing up as circus animals! No one in my video is wearing blackface," she said.

Contributing: Cydney Henderson and Sonja Haller

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JoJo Siwa, YouTube superstar, comes out as part of LGBTQ community