JoJo Siwa copped a lot of flack in the last couple of days after dissing the word lesbian. The singer, dancer, and former child star said she just didn’t like the sound of the word and compared it to ‘moist’.
Yesterday, she backtracked and clarified that she doesn’t hate the word. It simply doesn’t ‘flow off the tongue.’
The drama began last week following an interview with Yahoo! Life.
JoJo Siwa told the platform she felt honoured people thought of her as Gen Z’s ‘gay icon’. She also talked about carrying on the legacy of queer pioneers who came before her.
However, she also pushed back against being called a lesbian.
“I don’t like the word itself. It’s just like a lot. But I mean, at the end of the day, that’s what I am.
“It’s like the word moist. It’s just like… ugh!”
girl fck you😭 pic.twitter.com/qby6nZopaC
— ؘ (@prcybcth) July 28, 2022
But after a backlash from fans, JoJo recorded a TikTok video explaining her comment.
“I never would say that it’s a dirty word because it is not. It’s not a bad word, it’s not a slur, it’s especially not a word that I am ashamed of saying or ashamed of identifying as by any means.
“I don’t hate the word lesbian, whenever someone talks to me about my sexuality I just say that I’m gay,” Siwa continued. “It’s not a word that flows off the tongue for me, if that makes sense?”
@itsjojosiwa Replying to @🌈Liz🌈 ♬ Born This Way – Lady Gaga
The singer is, of course, only 19 and seems to have turned out okay after growing up in the spotlight.
And we all have the right to identify by the umbrella term we choose. But it’s also important to respect other people’s choices. As commenters reminded JoJo Siwa, she has many impressionable young fans.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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