JoJo Siwa says she's 'happy' to be part of LGBTQ community

Teen YouTube star and TV personality JoJo Siwa, who days ago came out to her more than 10 million Instagram followers as being on the LGTBQ spectrum, is profusely thanking fans who have showered her with support.

"I have gotten the most endless amount of love and support. … I'm really happy," she said in an Instagram live-feed video Saturday. "And now that the world gets to see this side of my life, it makes me really, really happy."

Siwa, 17, who first rose to prominence on Lifetime's "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" and "Dance Moms," noted in a response to a question of how she labels herself, "I have thought about this, and the reason why I'm not ready to say this answer is because I don't really know this answer. … Right now, I'm super-duper happy and I want to share everything with the world, I really do, but I also want to keep things in my life private until they're ready to be public."

She had teased her gender-nonconformity Thursday on TikTok, where she has more than 31 million followers, singing along to Lady Gaga's gay anthem "Born This Way." Then Friday, Siwa wrote on Twitter, "My cousin got me a new shirt," and posted an image of herself in a T-shirt reading: "Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever." Gay icon Ellen DeGeneres commented with a red heart, while gay rapper Lil Nas X commented, "[I]f u spell 'swag' backwards, it's 'gay'. coincidence??"

"I know that everyone's situation is different and it might be harder for some people and it might be easier for some people to come out or to be themselves," Siwa said in her Instagram video. Recognizing that "coming out has this stigma around it" and is for many "a really, really, really scary thing," she nonetheless maintained, "But it's not anymore. There're so many accepting and loving people out there that it's OK."

Siwa acknowledged, "Of course, people are going to say it's not normal, but it's your normal — nothing is ‘normal.' Literally not one thing about anybody is normal and it's OK to not be normal, it's OK to be a little different, it's OK to be a little weird, it's OK to be a little strange… . And I think a lot of people are afraid of being different, and that's something we should never, ever, ever be afraid of. That's something that we should be proud of and that we should celebrate."

She said her own family was instantly accepting. "My dad said, 'Hey, man, love is universal.’ … My mom said that she's known for the last two years." Her older brother Jayden, when told, "said, 'Really?' And I said, ‘Yeah.' And he said, 'Sick! Proud of you!' "

Among those commenting supportively on Siwa's Instagram were "13 Reasons Why" star Katherine Langford, who wrote, "So happy for you! Big love." Others included "Jersey Shore" star Jenni "JWoww" Farley; radio DJ and "RuPaul's Drag Race" producer and judge Michelle Visage and season-6 contestant Laganja Estranja (né Jay Jackson); and "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" season-3 winner Trixie Mattel (né Brian Firkus).