JoJo Siwa Makes History Competing As 1/2 of 'Dancing With The Stars' First Same-Sex Pair
In what is one small (cha-cha) step for bow enthusiasts, and one giant grand jete for the LGBTQAI+ community, teen superstar and tension alopecia spokeswoman, JoJo Siwa, has waltzed where no Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) contestant has before – making history as one half of the first same-sex pair to compete on the show. During the premiere of the series's 30th season Monday night – a milestone that likely sent Simpsons creator Matt Groening into an existential crisis – Siwa, who came out as queer earlier this year, hit the ballroom floor to perform a quickstep alongside professional dancer, Jenna Johnson.
Performing to Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl," the duo not only broke boundaries in terms of important LGBTQAI+ representation but also wowed the judges. The Dance Moms alum and her professional partner earned a score of 29 out of 40 points, beating contestants including Matt James, a former Bachelor notorious for kissing with his eyes open, Brian Austin Greene, a.k.a Megan Fox's ex, and Olivia Jade, Aunt Becky's IRL daughter/influencer synonymous with finessing your way into UCLA.
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“Thank you for taking me through this process while making it the most fun ever,” Siwa, an inspiration to LGBTQAI+ youth everywhere and the future namesake of the Washington D.C. airport (probably) wrote in an Instagram post shortly after the premiere aired. “The CREW on DWTS is so amazing, the CAST is all so fun! Making history and Top score of the night was literally a dream come true for me. Chase every dream you have and believe in yourself. Know that I love you all and I am smiling so big right now because of you, we did this !!”
Beyond making a trailblazing appearance competing alongside a dance partner that is also a woman, Siwa says she plans on making DWTS history another way – by sashay-ing away as the show's champion. "I have a lot of mirrorballs on me. I have a lot of little teensy ones every which way. I am manifesting it," Siwa, who is no stranger to placing in dance competitions, told Entertainment Tonight. “That's what I've been saying all day today,” she continued, adding that she's very “driven,” and “competitive." “I obviously want to win. It's in my blood.”
Despite her evident competitive drive, Siwa says regardless of whether she and Jonson walk away with the glorified disco ball top prize, her historic appearance has already made her a winner. “I love to win but already doing what I did with this show and with this experience and dancing with another female and being the first, I've already won in a way and of course not the mirrorball yet -- hopefully, manifesting,” she continued. "But everything that's happened so far and the reaction we've already received from the world is just amazing."
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