Reading Time: 4 minutes
JoJo Siwa discussed her gender and picked a more accurate sexuality label.
Who says that reality TV is no place for self-discovery?
The singer’s foray into adult reality stardom has come with some bumps along the way. Mostly some vileness from Mickey Rourke.
On a more positive note, JoJo had an earnest discussion of gender and her sexuality label. And she realized that “lesbian” is not the best description for who she is.
Like so many, JoJo Siwa wonders about her gender
On Celebrity Big Brother UK, JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes received a summons to the Diary Room. The two had broken the rules by communicating in code, and had to explain it to Big Brother.
“It’s something that I’m not ready, necessarily, to be open about or upfront about, but it has to do with gender and how do I feel,” JoJo answered. “Let’s put it this way… Oh my god, this is a lot…”
She ended up in tears, with Chris offering comfort. JoJo then described: “Essentially, you have female, you have male. I’ve met a lot of females, love them, don’t feel like them. Met a lot of males, love them, definitely not them.”
“Met a lot of people in my life that are nonbinary, and these beautiful nonbinary people are who I feel the most like,” JoJo continued.
“And … I don’t know, it’s not something I want to say about myself yet,” she admitted. “But it’s something that is confusing and that’s probably why we were talking about it last night.”
JoJo concluded: “It’s important to be honest, and I think it’s important to also show that it’s OK to not know.” She’s absolutely right. Gender is a social construct, and finding the right label for yourself is pretty complex.
One label was easier to pick than others
The CBBUK livestream also showed JoJo Siwa opening up with Danny Beard, a drag performer.
“I feel, like, so queer, do you know what I mean? I think that’s the thing, I’ve always told myself I’m a lesbian, and I think being here I’ve realized:
‘Oh, I’m not a lesbian, I’m queer,’ and I think that’s really cool,” she shared.
“I’m switching letters!” JoJo then joked, referring to the LGBTQ+ acronym.
OH MY GOD!! JOJO JUST SAID SHE’S NOT A LESBIAN AND BEING IN THE HOUSE HAS HELPED HER REALIZE THAT?! WOAH!! 🙊🙊 #CBBLive #CBBUK pic.twitter.com/vaatBuSaBz
— Siobhan 🇬🇬 (@slinehan1) April 22, 2025
Danny, who is also queer, joked: “And you know that British people love a queue!”
(Notably, the UK has seen catastrophic political pushback against the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, including the specific targeting of the transgender community)
After the horrific homophobia and sexual harassment perpetrated by disgraced former Housemate Mickey Rourke, it’s good to see JoJo bonding with others and expressing herself.
So what does ‘queer’ mean, anyway?
Some sexuality labels have complex histories. “Lesbian” ultimately refers to the ancient Greek poet, Sappho — who also inspired the “sapphic” label.
In fact, some labels were assigned to members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially in times when human sexuality — unless you were heterosexual and cisgender — was medicalized.
“Queer,” which originally meant “strange” or “eccentric,” was a term used within the gay community as far back as the 1800s. Over time, the label became a slur that bigots hurled at their victims.
Then, through decades of effort, the label was reclaimed.
JoJo is far from the only person to realize that “queer” is a more accurate (and broader) personal sexuality label.
Some might ask why she would not simply use a label like bisexual or pansexual, since her partner is nonbinary.
She could, though both labels would lead most to assume that she is also attracted to men, which is not necessarily the case.
But also? People should always use whichever label they feel best describes them.
Sexuality labels are imperfect and often fall short of describing the sum of what it means to be a person, but they can also provide a powerful sense of community. And finding the right label can be a lifelong journey.
JoJo Siwa Ditches ‘Lesbian’ Label for Something More Accurate: I’m … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
