JoJo Siwa Cancels Chicago Pride Performance Citing Sexuality Label Pressure

JoJo Siwa has canceled her scheduled performance at Chicago’s Pride celebration, with organizers citing a scheduling conflict shortly after Siwa revealed feeling pressured by the LGBTQ+ community to label her sexuality. Siwa, who came out publicly in 2021 and had identified as pansexual and later as a lesbian, stated in interviews that she initially boxed herself into the lesbian label due to external and internal pressures within the community. Recently, she shared that her current relationship with Chris Hughes, a U.K.-based social media creator, has helped her better understand her fluid sexual identity, and she now identifies as queer. The abrupt cancellation of her Pride event follows public scrutiny and backlash over the perceived inconsistency between her previous labels and her current relationship. Siwa emphasized that her sexuality is fluid and that happiness in her personal life is paramount, pushing back against assumptions that her relationship is for publicity. Despite the cancellation, Siwa remains a visible advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion and a role model for young queer audiences.