JoJo Siwa realized she was gay at Disney World: 'I have grown up a lot at Disney'

"I fell in love for the first time at Disney World," Siwa said.

JoJo Siwa is officially the patron saint of Disney Adults.

The actress and singer revealed in a new interview that Disney World served as the backdrop for many formative experiences in her life, as she told PEOPLE that she came into her own as a queer woman while visiting the House of Mouse's Orlando, Fla. resort.

"I have a lot of really fun memories here. I have a lot of really hard memories here, but I have grown a lot at Disney," the 19-year-old told the publication while visiting Magic Kingdom to experience the park's new Tron Lightcycle Run roller coaster. "I fell in love for the first time at Disney World. I realized I was gay at Disney World. I went through stages of heartbreak at Disney World. There's been a lot in my personal life that Disney World has really attributed to."

Host JoJo Siwa speaks onstage during the 2022 Children's & Family Creative Arts Emmys at Wilshire Ebell Theatre on December 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.; A new crest honoring the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort adorns Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
JoJo Siwa realized she was gay at Disney World. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images; Kent Phillips/Disney Parks

Siwa first came out in January 2021 via TikTok, when she was only one month into dating her first girlfriend, Kylie Prew.

"I was here for 14 days with a girl that was my really good friend and I realized that, 'Oh, I like her,'" Siwa continued. "And having all those feelings while just being in the most magical place in the world and the happiest place on Earth was so cool. We're not together anymore, but we did have some really fun, happy memories here."

Siwa told EW for our 2021 Pride cover that her fans missed many signs pointing to her sexuality throughout her career, as she said she came out to family and friends long before she told the public.

"I mean, I wore a rainbow on the top of my head almost every day of my life," she said. "And any time I could have anything rainbow, I would get rainbow. June's my favorite month to shop because of all the Pride clothes."

The performer has since become a vocal supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights, including pushing back against Full House actress Candace Cameron Bure, who made controversial comments about her new holiday network producing content that will favor "traditional marriage" over LGBTQ love stories in late 2022. Siwa previously clashed with the actress in July, when she suggested in a social media video that Bure was one of the rudest celebrities she's ever met.

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