The 30th season of Dancing with the Stars premieres on Sept. 20, and pop star JoJo Siwa will make some history along the way.

 

 

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JoJo, an 18-year old who identifies as gay and queer, will compete as part of the first same-sex pairing on DWTS. “I think it breaks a wall that’s never been broken down before,” JoJo says.

 

JoJo continues, “It’s normal for a girl to dance with a guy, and I think that’s really cool, but it’s really special that now not only do I get to share with the world that you get to love who you love, but also you get to dance with who you want to dance with.  It’s going to give so much to people out there, people of the LGBTQ community, everyone, people who feel just a little different.  I want to make it OK for the people who come after me.”

 

 

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Tyra Banks, host of DWTS, says she’s ‘proud of JoJo and the show for allowing the pairing to happen,’ “I think it’s going to save lives.  I think it’s going to change lives, and it’s going to make a lot of noise, and the noise that needs to be made.”

 

And when it comes to dance competitions, JoJo is no stranger to them.  She previously appeared on Dance Moms, a show produced by Abby Lee Miller, “I just want to do really good.  I’m traumatized as a child getting spray tans for dance competitions.”

 

 

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Also set to join, Olympic gymnastics champion Suni Lee.  The rest of the dance cast will be announced on Sept. 8.

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