JoJo Siwa’s public evolution of identity marks an important cultural moment for queer expression and autonomy. In a recent interview highlighted by YOU Mag, a women’s magazine, the 22-year-old singer opened up about personal identity, career, and shifting relationship with Chris Hughes, former Love Island star.
The pair met on ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother back in April, quickly developing a close bond soon after. Initially described as “platonic soulmates,” fans felt their relationship was more romantic.
However, Siwa was already in a relationship with nonbinary DJ Kath Ebbs at the time. On the show, Siwa tackled gender identity and announced that she was “switching letters” after realizing she didn’t identify as a lesbian but instead queer. Siwa reclaimed her own narrative, “I’ve dropped the L and I’ve gone to the Q, baby!”
She moved toward an identity that felt more expansive and inclusive. The term “queer” has been embraced by many as a symbol of fluidity, resistance, and individuality.
At just 17, Siwa had came out publicly as pansexual, stating that her attraction was based on personality, not gender. She acknowledged that was partially influenced by pressure from those around her. “Then I kind of boxed myself in and I said: ‘I’m a lesbian.’ And I think I did that because of pressure.” She explains that the label didn’t fully resonate with her to YOU Mag.
Siwa admitted she felt a sense of confinement from pressure within the LGBTQ+ community itself-making it especially hard in a society that often demands clarity and categorization—especially from public figures.
Siwa described that her journey is a part of life, finding out who you are and what you like. In her words “From people I know, from partners I’ve had, you just get put in this world where you feel like, because you now said, ‘Oh, I’m a lesbian’, you have to be a lesbian. And the truth is, sexuality is fluid.”
Later on Siwa dumped Ebbs at the reality show’s wrap party after leaving the Big Brother house. During the following weeks Siwa and Hughes could be spotted holding hands, and many pictures floated around showing the two cuddling together. Contrarily, the two stated their relationship was purely platonic and stood ground as “platonic soulmates.”
In the beginning of June, Hughes posted a photo on Snapchat of the pair cuddling shirtless in bed, with a caption: “Sleeepinnn Beauty.”
Their connection developed into a romantic one, and in an interview with The Guardian, their relationship was confirmed.
In the interview, Siwa said, “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 added that Hughes was “The first boy that I’ve liked in nine years.”
Their relationship may have helped Siwa recognize the internal disconnect between the label she claimed and the fluid reality of her feelings. Siwa reaffirmed that her sexuality is queer, a term that better suited her identity. She claims the term “encompasses how I am, and who I am.”
Siwa’s story resonates far beyond her own experience, her openness providing a model for many young people navigating similar journeys. “There’s a lot of different sexual identities. I think there’s nothing more beautiful than somebody discovering themselves,” She says.
There is no singular way to be queer, and everybody deserves the freedom to explore, revise, and reclaim the labels they feel fit.
Photos courtesy of social media
