It can feel a little daunting at first, but when all is said and done, coming out can be the most freeing thing.
At Girlfriend, we want to celebrate the liberation of sharing with the world who you truly are – and our favourite celebrities do too.
WATCH: Janelle Monae on Movies Music and Coming Out as Pansexual
In recent years, we have gotten to a place in society where more people and celebrities feel comfortable discussing their sexuality publicly and with support from allies and the LGBTQIA+ community.
June in particular is a time to open the dialogue and normalise the conversation – it’s Pride Month bby!
Connected to a history-making event, Pride Month derived in New York on June 28 in 1969, where riots were led by members of the LGBTQIA+ community to stand against a police raid that occurred at the Stonewall Inn.
This was a history-changing moment for the gay liberation movement in the US, and it marks the birth of today’s modern fight for fundamental rights.
A time to celebrate the impact of LGBTQIA+ people, activists, advocates and allies over the years – we’ve come a long way, but we’re still going, going, going for more.
To celebrate and showcase pride in it’s most famous form, we’ve collated our fave celebrities who came out in 2021.
JoJo Siwa
The singer and influencer confirmed speculation she was a part of the LGBTQIA+ community on Twitter by posting a picture of herself in a top gifted by her cousin with the words, “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever,” written on it.
She captioned the shot, “My cousin got me a new shirt.”
A slew of celebrities sent the 18-year-old messages of support.
Lil Nas said, “if you spell ‘swag’ backwards, it’s ‘gay’. coincidence??” and Todrick Hall wrote, “Dear @itsjojosiwa I have never been more proud in my life! Happy for you and happy for how you’re going to change the world. Children need to see this@ Me = crying.”
After the post broke the internet, in an interview with People Magazine, JoJo confirmed she identified as pansexual.
“I still don’t know what I am. It’s like, I want to figure it out.
“I like queer. Technically I would say that I am pansexual because that’s how I have always been my whole life … just like, my human is my human,” said JoJo.
Demi Lovato
In May, Demi shared a video with the world to announce that they are non-binary.
In the video, they said, “I will be officially changing my pronouns to them/them. I feel this best represents the fluidity in my gender expression.”
They clarified in a statement on Instagram what this revelation means for the star going forward in the public eye.
“Today is a day I’m so happy to share more of my life with you all – I am proud to let you know that I identify as non-binary & will officially be changing my pronouns to they/them moving forward.
“Not only has my life been a journey for myself. I was also living for those on the other side of the cameras,” said Demi.
Demi also came out as pansexual earlier this year during their appearance on Joe Rogan’s Experience podcast.
In a conversation about having children, they admitted they don’t know if they see themselves getting pregnant because they aren’t sure who they will have children with.
“At this moment, I want to adopt [children] for sure,” they said. “I also don’t know if I’m going to end up with a guy, so I can’t really see myself even getting pregnant. I don’t know. I’m so fluid now, and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was super closeted off.”
When Joe asked what Demi labels themselves as, they replied, “Yeah, pansexual. I like anything, really.”
Olivia Ponton
The model and social media influencer came out to Teen Vogue as bisexual.
The publication described Olivia’s “undeniable expression of glee bursting from face” as she revealed her sexuality to the journalist.
“I want to announce that I’m bisexual, and I’m now proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community,” she said.
Olivia’s fans had spent months speculating on TikTok after she posted a hinting video onto the platform.
She had also posted videos with her girlfriend, Kaila Novak, although she hadn’t addressed her fan’s queries.
After the article was set live, the influencer posted a picture of herself on her seventh birthday with a candid message about her sexuality.
“Here’s lil liv before i knew what PRIDE meant to me… thank you at @teenvogue for giving me the platform to talk about my sexuality❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💗,” penned Olivia.
Dove Cameron
This year the actress came out as bisexual, and she spoke to the Gay Times about her sexuality and why she decided to come out.
“I’ve hinted about my sexuality for years while being afraid to spell it out for everybody,” Dove told the magazine.
Dove initially opened up to her fans during an Instagram live because she wanted to represent in her music.
She paraphrased her words to the Gay Times, “‘Guys, I really needed to explain something to you. Maybe I haven’t said it, but I’m super queer. This is something I want to represent through my music because it’s who I am.'”
Joshua Bassett
While this wasn’t an official coming out, it was an expression of acceptance and an ode to exploration.
Speculation regarding Joshua’s sexuality stirred after the actor stated in an interview, “this is my coming out video, I guess,” after he gushed over the Watermelon Sugar crooner, Harry Styles.
To answer his fan’s confusion, he penned an honest Instagram post to make a raw statement regarding his sexuality.
“My entire life people have told me my sexuality. people have shamed me for things they know nothing about. I want to say thank you to those of you who stand for love and acceptance.” the 20-year-old wrote.
“Toxicity, hatred, and negativity say less about the subject, but say far more about those who spew it. it’s 2021. we are the generation of love & growth, it’s time we start acting like it. whether you love me, hate me, or damn me to hell, i love you all the same.”
The musician ended the post with a message to his followers who may still be figuring their sexuality out: “love who you love shamelessly. it’s ok to still be figuring out who you are. life’s too short to let ignorance and hatred win. i choose love. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜,” wrote Joshua.
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