I Am Now a JoJo Siwa Fan

I cannot think of anything more annoying than the prospect of sitting through even a 30-second JoJo Siwa video.

It's okay that JoJo makes videos that annoy me to the point that I cannot decide whether to jam pencils in my eyes or my ears. Her over-the-top glitter and energy are not directed at me. She has not lost one minute of sleep wondering, "What is Wes Nessman going to think of this?"

JoJo is my hero because she's risked everything in order to be herself, and let others know it's okay to be themselves.

Now, before those other dance moms clutch their pearls and make the sign of a cross, I would wager that JoJo coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community will not trickle down to anyone it doesn't matter to. After all, as a young child, did you ever even speculate about Mr. Rogers being a heterosexual? Who this matters to is the kids who are actually growing out of their JoJo years and wondering why they didn't have any role models or representation until now.

I'm certain there will be some backlash. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some scary church types burning some of her merch (which will be replaced with 2021 merch, I'm sure). This type of nonsense won't matter. Nickelodeon have already stated that they've "never been more proud" of this kid, and they're the ones paying most of her bills.

No kid should feel all alone because they feel different. JoJo's energy burns so brightly that it will be a beacon for some of these kids so they don't get lost.

Great job, kid. I will try to tolerate you in honor of your brave stance.