Olivia Ponton Identifies as Bisexual

Olivia Ponton can finally breathe.

“I want to announce that I’m bisexual, and I’m now proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Olivia is leaning into the Zoom camera as she reveals the news, an undeniable expression of glee bursting from face as she speaks rapidly.

The model and social media star is coming out after months of speculation about her sexuality online. Olivia posted a TikTok in March that set her fans abuzz, wondering if it was a hint about her sexuality. That, coupled with many cozy videos of her and girlfriend Kaila Novak, have sparked many to wonder — but Olivia has never addressed her sexuality. 

Until now, when the star is ready to tell her story on her own terms.

Born and raised in Naples, Florida, Olivia had limited exposure to the LGBTQ+ community growing up. “I feel like it didn't really even occur to me until I moved out here [to Los Angeles] that being bisexual was even a possibility in my brain.”

Olivia’s queer identity never “clicked,” per se, but rather, felt like a natural love story, guided through the lens of social media. “I met my girlfriend on TikTok and became thoroughly obsessed with her,” she explains.

In true Gen Z fashion, Olivia slid into Kaila's Instagram DM’s after debating whether or not to do so for a week, trying to understand whether she just appreciated Kaila’s beauty, or was attracted to it. After some back and forth — “She actually curved me for a week before first answering!” — the two began regularly seeing each other this past January.

Olivia attributes much of her sexual exploration to TikTok and the algorithm's exposure to a wide array of creators, many from the queer community. After a very public breakup last June, the 18-year-old model took time to explore herself.

Her first official “coming out” moment occurred when Olivia shared her attraction to Kaila with a best friend, speaking truth to the words for the first time. “It was a very surreal thing to say out loud,” she recalls. “I’ve never said this before; I’ve never felt this kind of way. And my friend was super supportive and proud of me.”

Her desire to publicly come out was driven by JoJo Siwa’s recent announcement that she identifies as LGBTQ. Her openness inspired Olivia to speak her truth, not just for her own sake, but for the many young girls in similar positions.

“I saw that and thought ‘Wow, that’s really amazing for young children now because she's such a big role model,’” Olivia explains. “And she’s really become almost a role model for me to look up to as well.”

She adds, “I want to let young girls know that it’s okay to not even know your sexuality until you’re older. I think it should be more normalized to come out [when you’re ready for it].”

Like anyone who’s ever come out, Olivia faced some challenges. She struggled with the stereotype that queer women are less feminine, which made her wonder if she could even identify as queer. “I’m very feminine, I wear a lot of makeup, and I think people always have this stereotype towards [queer women] that’s unfair,” she explains. Again, what helped her the most was following a diverse set of queer TikTok creators, each representing a different style and aesthetic, who could help confirm and validate Olivia’s thought process during her coming out. Eventually, they helped her recognize that no bisexual person must fit a certain box.

“I follow a lot of girls who are in the community that dress super feminine, and they always post content about people thinking they're straight and it's like, well, no, I'm actually gay or bisexual or however they identify," Olivia says, "and that honestly helped me a lot.”

Another difficulty: Tackling common biphobic thoughts, such as that her new identity suddenly makes others believe she’s attracted to everyone with no boundaries. “I don't want anyone to ever feel uncomfortable that I'm looking at them that way because I'm just not,” she says. “I'm not attracted to every man, I'm not attracted to every woman I’ve seen.”

Unfortunately, Olivia’s coming out was plagued with a bit of controversy when a TikTok user tried to label her relationship as fake, calling it to be a ploy to “get clout” and elicit a modeling contract for Kaila’s younger sister. Both women were quick to shut down the rumors.

“Kaila and I have a very strong bond and we have a lot of trust in each other, so it really didn't affect us that hard,” she says. “But it hurts both of us because we know how much we love each other. We know we have such an [intense] bond, so it really hurt me to see her getting literally attacked over this.”

The rumors felt invalidating to Olivia, who had only just begun posting videos with Kaila despite privately dating for four months prior. She’s chosen to speak out on it, however, to squash the rumors and bring to light the difficulties of navigating public stardom with personal discovery.

“[I hope people become] very open minded about every situation. You never know what really anyone's going through in their own brain, even if they're not talking about it on social media or what not.”

A future goal of hers: To help Disney bring queer representation to its long list of Princesses and Princes.

“That would be so life changing to a lot of young children — and me — to see whether a Prince with the Prince, or a Princess with a Princess," she says. "I think Disney is probably a little scared right now. But I feel like hopefully with this new generation — my generation, right now we're super accepting. By the next generation, hopefully it could be more normalized.”

Olivia is still exploring much of her queer identity, navigating the fluidity that comes with being bisexual. She has exciting plans for her first Pride Month, including a campaign with Frankies Bikinis, and some pandemic-friendly celebrations with friends. As she takes the first steps into her new life, she hopes to grow into a role model for young girls, reminding them that being you and being true are the most powerful qualities a girl can harness.

“Really try to understand yourself, and don’t let anyone put pressure on you. Really take the time to focus on yourself and realize that all of the feelings that you’re feeling are okay and valid and completely normal. Make yourself happy before you try to make anyone else happy in your life.”

She adds, “Don’t dim yourself down to fit into the ‘right’ crowd of people. I’m a very bright person and I’m a very big person. And I’ve dimmed my light a few times for others, and it’s just not healthy. Find friends that support you and surround you in happiness and the light you need to live.”

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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue