JoJo Siwa Says Social Media Made It Easier for Her to Come Out as LGBTQ: It 'Gave Me a Safe Space'
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The 'Dance Moms' alum is opening up about her personal journey, after coming out on Instagram Live in January 2021
JoJo Siwa has social media to thank in part for her positive coming-out journey.
The “Boomerang” singer — who came out as LGBTQ on Instagram Live in January 2021 — said she found it “easier” to be open up about her sexuality online after finding a supportive community there.
"Just getting social media for me, it actually gave me a safe space when I came out," Siwa, 20, told E! News.
The Dance Moms alum appeared in several LGBTQ-positive TikTok videos in early 2021 — one of which included her dancing to Lady Gaga’s 2011 hit “Born This Way” — before officially coming out.
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Speaking of that time, Siwa told E! News that she “knew that even if everyone around me didn't support me that there was gonna be people online that did."
The TikTok star added, "And I knew that I was gonna find those people and I was really excited about that. I always told myself it was gonna be easier to come out online than it was in person. And I do believe that's very true."
Siwa said she now feels she has found her rightful place in the social-media space.
“It's been fun to be able to figure out what ways I get to be a part of that," she continued. "You know what I mean? How I fit into the piece of the puzzle there."
Siwa listed Freddie Mercury and Elton John as her top LGBTQ+ icons to E! News, and days ago showed further support for John, 76, as she dressed as The Rocket Man himself to support the launch of his new initiative, The Rocket Fund.
Announced during Pride Month, The Rocket Fund aims to accelerate the progress toward ending AIDS for all.
Even though Siwa is not personally affected by the AIDS epidemic, she told PEOPLE exclusively that "so many of my people" are, so it's important to her to be a part of it.
"Whether that's people that I know personally or people that I don't know personally that are just in my same family — LGBTQ community, young people," she said. "This new Rocket Fund launch is going to be such a great thing for the world because I think it's going to educate and fund and really just bring awareness — more than there already is — and help take away stigma."
"That is just going to be such a beautiful thing," the singer added.
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