If you’ve been following the glitter-soaked trajectory of JoJo Siwa, you know her life moves at roughly 100 miles per hour. One day she’s the face of Nickelodeon bows, and the next she’s reinventing herself as the "CEO of Gay Pop" with a darker, edgy aesthetic that left the internet divided. But the question that keeps popping up in every comment section from TikTok to Reddit is simple: is JoJo Siwa lesbian?
The answer is actually more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no." Honestly, it’s been a journey of labels, public pressure, and a very high-profile stint on reality TV that changed everything.
The Big Switch: From Lesbian to Queer
For a long time, JoJo was the poster child for young lesbian visibility. She officially came out in January 2021, wearing a "Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever." shirt that her then-girlfriend, Kylie Prew, encouraged her to post. It was a massive moment. At the time, she eventually settled on the "lesbian" label after briefly mentioning she was pansexual.
But fast forward to April 2025. JoJo was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother UK, and that’s where the narrative shifted. In a candid conversation with her housemate Danny Beard—a drag performer who also identifies as queer—JoJo dropped a bit of a bombshell.
"I’ve always told myself I’m a lesbian," she said during the livestream. "I think being here, I’ve realized I am not a lesbian, I’m queer."
She literally shouted it to the rafters: "I’m switching letters! F--- the L, I’m going to the Q!" It wasn’t just a throwaway comment. It was a public acknowledgment that her understanding of her own heart had evolved. She felt that "lesbian" was too restrictive for how she actually felt about people.
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Feeling the Pressure to "Box" Herself In
Why the change? JoJo has been pretty open about the "box" she felt trapped in. In a June 2025 interview with YOU Magazine, she admitted that she felt a weird amount of pressure to stick to the lesbian label once she’d said it out loud.
"When I came out at 17, I said I’m pansexual," she explained. "But then I kind of boxed myself in... I think because of pressure a little bit from inside the community at times."
It’s a real thing. When you’re a massive celebrity, especially one who becomes an icon for a specific group, there’s this unspoken rule that you can’t change your mind. People get protective of the "L" label. But JoJo realized that sexuality is fluid. She’s now 22, and the girl we saw in 2021 isn't the same person navigating the world in 2026.
The Chris Hughes Factor
One of the biggest reasons people started asking is JoJo Siwa lesbian again was her relationship with Love Island alum Chris Hughes. They met on Celebrity Big Brother and their chemistry was undeniable, even though JoJo was technically in a relationship with influencer Kath Ebbs at the start of the show.
After the show wrapped, things between JoJo and Chris moved from "platonic" to "head over heels." By June 2025, she confirmed they were dating.
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Naturally, the internet had a meltdown. Some accused it of being a PR stunt. Others were confused because they’d spent years seeing her as a lesbian icon. But JoJo didn't back down. She maintained that her connection with Chris was genuine and that her identity as "queer" allowed her the space to love whoever she wanted, regardless of gender.
A Timeline of JoJo’s Public Identity
If you're trying to keep track, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster. It's not "messy" in a bad way, just messy in the way growing up in public usually is.
- January 2021: Comes out as LGBTQ+. Initially says she doesn't want to label it, then says "pansexual."
- Late 2021: Starts using the term "lesbian" more frequently.
- 2024: Launches the "Gay Pop" era with the single Karma. Claims the title "CEO of Gay Pop," which leads to a whole separate discourse with older queer artists like Tegan and Sara.
- April 2025: On Celebrity Big Brother, she officially drops the "lesbian" label and identifies as "queer."
- May 2025: Confirms she is dating Chris Hughes.
- January 2026: Changes her TikTok name to "Joelle Siwa" and teases big plans for the year, including a potential engagement to Chris.
Gender Identity and the Secret Code
While the conversation usually stays on her dating life, JoJo also opened up about her gender identity while on Big Brother. She and Chris Hughes actually developed a "secret code" so she could talk about it without feeling like she was being watched 24/7.
She described feeling like she didn't quite fit into the "female" or "male" boxes. She mentioned that non-binary people are who she feels "the most like," though she wasn't ready to officially adopt a new label for her gender just yet. It’s clear she’s still in a phase of deep self-discovery.
What This Means for Her Fans
JoJo Siwa has always been a "love it or hate it" kind of figure. But you can't deny that she's doing something most child stars are too afraid to do: she's failing, succeeding, and changing her mind in real-time.
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For the kids who grew up with her, seeing her navigate the nuances of being is JoJo Siwa lesbian vs. queer is actually pretty educational. It shows that you don't have to have it all figured out by the time you're 18. You can "switch letters." You can date a woman, then date a man, then date a non-binary person, and still be authentically yourself.
Practical Takeaways from JoJo’s Journey
If you're following JoJo's story because you're navigating your own identity, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Labels are tools, not cages. If a label like "lesbian" feels right today but "queer" feels better tomorrow, that’s allowed.
- Public opinion doesn't define your truth. JoJo faced massive backlash for dating Chris Hughes after identifying as a lesbian, but she chose her own happiness over protecting a "brand."
- Fluidity is normal. Research, like the work done by Dr. Lisa Diamond, shows that many women experience sexual fluidity throughout their lives. It's not a "phase"; it's just how some people are wired.
JoJo is entering 2026 as "Joelle," seemingly more settled and confident than ever. Whether she's wearing a wedding dress for a music video or a real-life walk down the aisle with Chris, she’s made it clear that she’s done living in anyone else's box.
To stay updated on JoJo's evolving career and personal updates, keep an eye on her official TikTok (now under Joelle Siwa) and her recent interviews with People and The Guardian, where she has been most transparent about her relationship status and future projects.