“Born This Way,” a hit tune by Lady Gaga, plays as a student scrolls through their For You page on TikTok, pausing at a particular video. Despite the flashing lights, the person in the video seems very familiar. JoJo Siwa emerges, singing and dancing along. This was Siwas’s coming out video, giving her a place in the LGBTQ+ community.

“After being my best friend for over a year, January 8th, 2021 I got to start calling this exceptional human my girlfriend,” the caption of Siwas’s Instagram post reads. All of the photos show JoJo Siwa and her new girlfriend holding hands and grinning widely.

Siwa has been known online for a long time due to her run on “Dance Moms,” and now she is a very popular Nickelodeon star. In a video posted on her Instagram, she stated that she was “really really really happy” to have shared this big part of herself with all of the people who support her, including her network and the people in her professional life.

Her former dance instructor, Abby Lee Miller even made an Instagram post responding to Siwa coming out. “[You’re] a shining example for the kids out there to live their best lives each and every day.”

Siwa beamed as she talked about how she felt with her fans and how everyone has supported her throughout the years. The public response has been majorly positive, and even students at MCHS were feeling the love. 

Sophomore Brook Krapf stated how they feel about JoJo Siwa coming out publicly online. “I think it helps to break the stereotype that young people can’t know they’re queer or that being queer can’t be something that is celebrated.” 

Krapf also talked about how important it is to have queer and trans representation in the media to show children that there is diversity. “There is other people — not just cis-gender heterosexuals.”

Max Wenc, a sophomore at East Campus, after having just found out about JoJo Siwa’s coming out had stated, “I didn’t even know she did, but that’s good for her.” 

For many queer kids, the response to JoJo Siwa’s coming out is the dream. Not every child receives the same celebration JoJo Siwa has received. Hopefully, as she continues to be a symbol of color, fun, and bright, poppy music and dance, she can also be a symbol of hope and joy for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.