JoJo Siwa is sharing that she sees herself as “queer” now as she continues to discover more about her sexuality amid her new relationship with Chris Hughes.
Speaking to E! News on Friday, June 13, Siwa, 22, explained her reasons for using the term after previously self-identifying as a lesbian.
“I think the most beautiful term now is queer,” the Dance Moms alum told the outlet. “I think queer is an umbrella of, ‘Look, I’m just me.’ And I think the most beautiful thing about the LGBTQIA community is love is love. And that goes both ways.”
Siwa continued, “There’s loads of beautiful, different sexualities. Sexuality and queerness is a lovely rainbow that has all different places, and it also has places on this rainbow that we don’t even know exist yet.”
The reality TV star went public with her relationship with Hughes, 32, after they met on the U.K. edition of Celebrity Big Brother in April. Siwa broke up with her then-partner, influencer Kath Ebbs, after leaving the Big Brother house, before confirming her romance with Hughes in early June.
“I feel so in the right position for myself. I feel so content with my happiness,” Siwa told E! News of her relationship with Hughes. “I feel so relaxed and at ease with where I’m at. I feel so happy and peaceful that the love that I feel is so real. You can’t really help who you fall in love with.”
During her time on Celebrity Big Brother U.K., Siwa said she discovered more about her sexual identity.
“I’ve always told myself I’m a lesbian, but I think you — I think being here, I’ve realized, ‘Oh no, I’m not a lesbian, I’m queer,’” she explained. “I think that’s really cool. I’m switching letters.”
Siwa first confirmed her relationship with Hughes during an interview on June 2 after Hughes shared a selfie of them in bed together via social media the previous day.
“It’s not platonic anymore, and it’s been a beautiful development, a beautiful connection, and I’m absolutely head over heels for him and he’s the same way,” Siwa said in an interview with The Guardian.
Several days later, Siwa shared more details about the romance during a June 6 appearance on the “Rosebud With Gyles Brandreth” podcast.
“It’s a beautiful journey,” Siwa said. “I don’t know how the universe [aligned] for Chris to come into my life.”
