JoJo Siwa Says Demi Lovato and Jenna Dewan Helped Her Realize She's Gay: 'Men Are Not My Thing'
JC Olivera/Getty JoJo Siwa's previous signature look
JoJo Siwa is opening up about the moment she knew she was gay — and how stars like Demi Lovato and Jenna Dewan helped.
In a TikTok video titled "My Gay Awakening Story" Siwa, 19, rapped about her experience.
"One thing about me is that when I was 12, Demi Lovato came out with a song called "Cool for the Summer," " Siwa said of Lovato's single from the 2015 Confident album.
The Dance Moms alum continued, "I really, really liked it and listened to it all time. I did not know what it meant back then but now that I'm older I know what it means."
RELATED: JoJo Siwa Defends Taking New Girlfriend Avery Cyrus on a Date to Chuck E. Cheese
Todd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
She then recalled that "a few years later Jenna Dewan went on Lip Sync Battle. She did a really great Magic Mike number I pretty much watched it every day," adding of her younger self, "Little me, well, she didn't know she was gay."
The "awakening" came years after that when she was on her first date with a guy who "wanted to have sex with me."
"And I, did not want to, never wanted to, grossed out by the thought of it, immediately knew, men are not my thing. Women are my gig, gotta go," she said as she abruptly ended the video and walked off camera.
She kept the caption simple with, "Enjoy"
RELATED: JoJo Siwa Says She Likes to 'Dress More Feminine' with Short Hair: 'I Get to Break the Stereotype'
Siwa came out as LGBTQ in January 2021 over a series of posts on TikTok and Instagram. When she lipsynched Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" following a day with TikTok collective Pride House LA, fans wondered if she was revealing something about her sexuality. And with a very direct t-shirt — BEST GAY COUSIN EVER — she confirmed it.
Speaking with PEOPLE about her announcement the following April, Siwa said it was the last thing she hadn't shared with the world. And was inspired by her love for her then-girlfriend Kylie Prew, which began as a friendship and turned romantic in late 2020. (Siwa's now dating TikTokker Avery Cyrus.)
RELATED VIDEO: JoJo Siwa Celebrates 1 Year Since Coming Out as LGBTQ: 'I've Felt More Love Than Ever'
At first, Siwa didn't want to put a "label" on her sexuality.
"I like queer," she said at the time. "Technically I would say that I am pansexual because that's how I have always been my whole life is just like, my human is my human."
"I never wanted [my coming out] to be a big deal," she added. But it was: Never before has someone with such a young fan base identified publicly as LGBTQ.
"I've known since I was little," Siwa said. ("I did too," her mom Jessalynn added. "A mother knows.") They both also knew it was a risk to tell the world. "I have a lot that could have gone away because of my love life," Siwa said.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
While she faced criticism, new fans Elton John, Meghan Trainor, Kerry Washington and more applauded her openness. "I've never gotten this much support from the world," she said. "I think this is the first time that I've felt so personally happy."
"Performing has always made me super happy," she added. "But for the first time, personally, I am like, whoa, happiness. I am so proud to be me."
