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JoJo Siwa reluctantly discussed her exploration of gender identity in a new clip from Celebrity Big Brother.
Siwa had been exchanging “secret messages” with castmate and former Love Island star Chris Hughes, which Big Brother asked her about in a recent episode. Initially, Siwa said she wasn't comfortable discussing the content of the messages, but slowly started to reveal that it had to do with gender identity.
“Essentially, you have female, you have male. I’ve met a lot of females. Love them. Don’t feel like I’m them," Siwa said. "Met a lot of males. Love them. Definitely not them. I’ve met a lot of people in my life that are non-binary and these beautiful non-binary people are who I feel the most like.”
Siwa clarified that she's not yet saying she identifies as non-binary, saying she very much doesn't know where her thoughts on gender identity will settle. “It's not something that I want to say about myself yet, but it’s something that is confusing," Siwa said. "So that’s probably why we were talking about it last night.”
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After the vulnerable moment, Siwa started crying as castmates comforted her, asking why the conversation scared her. “I think just ’cause I don’t know myself or have all the answers, you know what I mean?" she said. "There’s nothing to do. Nothing to change. Nothing to think about. No different way to think of anything. Everything stays the exact same.”
On social media, many viewers felt that the show shouldn't have probed into Siwa's feelings on gender, particularly because she said she wasn't ready to discuss it publicly. “This wasn’t right to air, JoJo was clearly anxious and uncomfortable about talking about it,” one commenter noted. “Nobody should have to share that before they’re ready. I’m glad jojo is surrounded by loud and proud queer people right now,” another said.
Siwa certainly doesn't owe anyone an explanation about her gender, whether or not she's come to a conclusion about her identity — a sentiment Siwa's castmates stressed.
