JoJo Siwa, Demi Lovato & More Stars Who Came Out In 2021

As pride month gets underway starting today, June 1, learn more about some of the celebrities who proudly came out and shared that they identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community!

For any member of the LGBTQIA+ community, coming out and living their most authentic, truthful life is a huge moment. There’s always intense pressure and scrutiny, not to mention nerves and anxieties about how family, friends, and the world will see them. Today, June 1, marks the start of Pride Month, which celebrates and embraces members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their long fight for equality. The month of June was chosen, as it also coincides with the same month that the 1969 Stonewall Riots occurred. Some celebrities have undergone the life-changing moment of disclosing their identity to the world in the public eye, especially this year! To kick off Pride Month, we’re taking a look at those stars who proudly came out in 2021.

Demi Lovato

While Demi Lovato became more transparent about their sexuality in 2020, the singer, 28, shared with their dedicated fans how they intended to live their truth in 2021. “When I started getting older, I started realizing how queer I really am,” Demi told Glamour for the magazine’s May 2021 issue. “This past year, I was engaged to a man, and when it didn’t work, I was like, ‘This is a huge sign.’ I thought I was going to spend my life with someone. Now that I wasn’t going to, I felt this sense of relief that I could live my truth,” they continued, referencing their failed engagement to Max Ehrich.

In late March, while chatting with Joe Rogan during the March 27 episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Demi shared that they identify as pansexual, meaning that their attraction is not solely based on someone’s biological sex, gender, or gender identity. “I’m so fluid now, and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was super closeted off,” they shared. “I’m part of the alphabet mafia and proud.”

On May 20, Demi took an even bigger step in disclosing how they identify, revealing that they’re non-binary and prefer they/them pronouns! “Over the past year and a half, I have been doing some healing and self-reflective work, and through this work, I’ve had the revelation that I identify as non-binary,” they shared on the first episode of their 4D podcast. “With that said, I’ll officially be changing my pronouns to they/them.”

JoJo Siwa

JoJo Siwa, beloved by so many young fans, proudly came out in January 2021. The performer, 17, took to Twitter on January 22 and shared a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt that read, “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.” JoJo received so much love and support from famous friends and fans alike. Roughly one week later, JoJo revealed during her February 3 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that she is in a relationship.

“I do have the most amazing, wonderful, perfect, most beautiful girlfriend in the whole world,” JoJo gushed. “It’s not something I’m ashamed of. I just haven’t shown the Internet yet.” Before coming out, JoJo made a TikTok video featuring the song “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. “After the ‘Born This Way’ TikTok, I was on FaceTime with [my girlfriend] talking about all the love that came in but I still hadn’t actually confirmed it. So I was like…I kind of just want to post this picture on my real story. And she was like, ‘Do it!’”

Maddie Hasson

Maddie Hasson shared with her Instagram followers in early January 2021, that she identifies as bisexual. The Impulse star, 26, took to her Instagram Stories and responded to a fan prompt, which read, “Post a picture of…photo with gay/bi vibe.” Maddie obliged, and shared a selfie with a caption that read, “Hi, I’m bi and proud!”

Adelaide Kane

Adelaide Kane used TikTok as her platform of choice to share with her fans that she identifies as bisexual. The Reign actress, 30, took to TikTok on February 14, 2021, and shared a video with the caption “this has been sitting in my drafts for weeks.” The video also featured another caption, which read, “me super nervous to come out publicly as bisexual to the people in my life & social media,” as Michael Bublé‘s “Haven’t Met You Yet” played in the background.

Ronen Rubinstein

While speaking with Variety in April 2021, Ronen Rubinstein shared that he proudly identifies as bisexual. “I fully identify as bisexual,” the 9-1-1: Lone Star actor shared with the outlet. “I literally just got goosebumps saying that. It feels so good to talk about it, it feels so good to finally be comfortable with it.” Ronen credited his journey as an actor and the people in his life for helping him fully realize his most authentic self.

Colton Underwood

Former Bachelor lead Colton Underwood spoke candidly about his journey to understand his sexuality during his April 14 interview on Good Morning America. “I’m gay,” the former football player, 29, revealed. “I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. The next step in all of this is sort of letting people know. I’m still nervous, but it’s been a journey for sure.”

Colton’s journey was marred by a lot of difficulty, as he explained. “I would’ve rather died than say I’m gay [before],” he said, confirming that he considered “harming himself” at the lowest points. Now, though, Colton is the “happiest and healthiest” he has felt in a very long time.

“I’ve known that I’ve been difference since the age of six and I couldn’t process it and put my finger on what it was until high school, my freshman year,” Colton continued. “By that time, I’d already grown up in the Catholic church and gone to Catholic grade school. I learned in the Bible that being gay was a sin. I would make mistakes in my sports and athletic career, and ‘gay’ was always affiliated with a connotation of negativity. I think there’s a lot of things when I look back, I’m like, no wonder I’ve held it in.”

Colton, who was the star of season 23 of The Bachelor, previously dated Olympian Aly Raisman and Bachelor alum Cassie Randolph. Cassie and Colton ended their relationship in May 2020, and Cassie was granted a restraining order against Colton after filing court documents in which she accused him of stalking her. In November, Cassie made the decision to drop the restraining order without prejudice, meaning that she did not have an intention to re-file the restraining order at a later date.