Pride
/prʌɪd/
NOUN
A feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
One of the most popular and ever-growing social media platforms at present is TikTok. The nostalgia it encapsulates from the times of Vine and the prospect of overnight fame means most of us have lost countless hours scrolling, if not also in the creation of, TikTok media. The algorithms behind what content shows up on the For You Page is well beyond me, but the content I seem to frequently receive encompasses cute animals, Taylor Swift content, and beautiful women.
Considering the damning outcomes and subsequent outcry that has flourished since the Roe v. Wade debacle, I feel there is no better time to celebrate all women; and with respect to PRIDE, the wonderful women who love women: TikTok edition.
@itsjojosiwa
Jojo was an icon well before her TikTok days and public acknowledgement of her sexuality. For the die hard, OG fans of Dance Moms, Jojo will always be the little rocket of energy with the loud outfits and bow in her hair. However, Jojo has really made a name for herself since leaving the Abby Lee Dance Company; her accolades include a very successful YouTube channel, Dancing with the Stars extraordinaire, musician, popular merchandise creator (including the classic hair bows), author, and of course, TikTok superstar. TikTok was the primary platform Jojo utilised to publicly express her sexuality, and the response was immensely positive. Her TikTok now boasts wholesome videos with her girlfriend and fantastically prideful outfits in the way only Jojo could.
@hayleykiyoko
Hayley is not a stranger to the spotlight. Outside of her ever-popular TikTok, Hayley is known for her music (‘for the girls’ says it all) and various acting roles, including characters in The Vampire Diaries and Wizards of Waverly Place. Hayley is openly lesbian, with her TikTok providing a beautiful insight into her life with her partner and her advocacy for the community.
@dovecameron
I simply cannot get over Dove’s evolution. I remember watching her as the young blonde in Liv and Maddie on Disney Channel playing two very different twins. She seemed to start coming out of her shell in later Disney roles including Descendants and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Now, I watch her as a bold brunette, so confident in herself and her career. Her prowess in the music industry is blowing up exponentially with her song ‘Boyfriend’ really highlighting her personal comfort with her sexuality being in the public domain and also becoming a trending sound on TikTok.
@peachprc
Most Australian Tiktok users have probably seen Peach on their timeline at one point. She has the most iconic style; she really makes it clear that a colour can be a personality trait. As an Australian influencer and musician, Peach has quite the fan base. Her music, take for example ‘Blondes’, publicises her identification with the LGBTQIA+ community. In January this year, she publicly came out as lesbian on her Instagram page, and we have since had the pleasure of this content coming onto her TikTok account.
@indigoandi
I absolutely fell in love with Laura and her account due to her dog Poppy – the woo girl. Unfortunately, Poppy is no longer in the picture due to a breakup between Laura and her boyfriend at the time. Shortly after this personal ordeal and the relinquishment of ownership of Poppy, she came out as lesbian to her ever-growing Tiktok community. She is honestly just a ray of sunshine and, even without Poppy in the picture now, seeing her grow and be comfortable with who she is (alongside her cat Indigo) has been a wonderful experience from the outside looking in.
Hello! My name is Tegan and I joined the Opus team in 2021 as an outlet to escape my PhD writing. I am yet to find my niche category, but you can probably expect pieces about postgraduate life, creativity, psychology, literature and all things cute and fuzzy. Outside of Opus and my PhD, I am also a peer mentor, team leader, tutor, and sessional academic (so you might just see me in class sometime!).
