Johnny Lopez, the 16-year-old star of The Riveras, has come out in a heartfelt YouTube clip.
Related: ’13 Reasons Why’ star Brandon Flynn comes out in heartfelt Instagram post
Along with his sister Chiquis, the son of the late entertainer Jenni Rivera says, “There has been a lot said about me in the past few weeks. Things didn’t come out the way I wanted this to.”
“I wanted to make this video first and for everyone to understand me but my boyfriend, as you all know, Joaquín, we both got a little too excited, and he posted a few pictures of us, and I retweeted them, and it went viral.
People began noticing that we were together. They didn’t come out exactly the way I wanted to but they’re out now. I am in a gay relationship right now and I am in love with this person. I’ve been dealing with this part of myself for a long time now.
In that time, I did experiment with girls, tried different things here and there. I still don’t know what my preference is personally.
But I do know that I love this person a lot, I’ve been in love with him for about two years now and I’m happy and it’s the happiest I’ve ever been.
I’ve dealt with this for so long and I never got to tell my mom about this side of myself.
And I know that’s the number one question in everyone’s mind, ‘What would your mom think?'”
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dash_board1
I’m glad this kid is doing well, but reading the story did bring up a question for me.
Would you feel comfortable dating a guy who says he’s ‘in a gay relationship right now’ and ‘I still don’t know what my preference is personally’?
alfred
The kid’s 16……perhaps if an adult said that, but that isnt that unusual for a teenager man.
dash_board1
@alfred, yeah, you’re right. I was asking about if an adult guy said these things.
Knight
This kid is 16 years old…he’s WAAAAY to young to “be in love” or even know what sexuality is in the long haul. Hell, I’m in my 20s and still wouldn’t give up either the taco OR the bun for my chorizo. The point is, he shouldn’t have to either. Let him live his life.
A la chava del video; no te conozo ni habia visto esta serie hasta hoy, pero hiceste MUY bien con tu apoyo y consejos para ese chamaquillo. Me da gusto y se ve que tienen una famila muy unida…sobretodo cuando momentos asi’ pasen. Echenle ganas, eh ; )
DCguy
What a shock, one of the Anti-lgbt screenames is trying to claim that a 16 year old doesn’t know what sexuality they are.
That’s funny because if a 12 year old steals their dad’s playboy I never heard anybody else tell the parents. “Oh, he’s too young to know that he finds naked women attractive, he could still be gay”
And when an 8 year old girl is saying she wants to marry a prince, nobody says “Oh but she’s so young, don’t worry she could still grow up to be a lesbian”.
And when a 16 year old guy whose been caught making out with his girlfriend many times, and invites her to a school dance, the father of his date doesn’t say “Stay out as late as you want, because, hey, you’re too young to know what your sexuality is, and you’re probably gay so come back tomorrow if you want.
Nope, it’s only anti-lgbt people that claim a teenager who just publically came out doesn’t know what they are talking about. Typical bigoted troll shilling for the closet.
Knight
DCTroll…he SAYS he doesn’t know what he is sexually. Did you even bother to listen to the video? Obviously not, because you are a troll. And no…that is NOT a surprise.
Get help…you need it.
SiamSam
Ugh. Sympathy trawling. Quick learner, though. He knows he’ll get endless praise and likes for how “brave” he is. Coming up: utterly predictable anti-Trump soundbite or tweet.
Knight
Siam LOL…OK. But isn’t anyone who is a “reality star” (and I put the quotes there because I have never even heard of these people) constantly trawling on some level? I mean, that’s kind of the reason they do what they do, right? I kind of agree that there was already a decision in the works that he was going to make this “huge” announcement, so not 100% convinced about this being as detrimental as we’re being led to believe. At the same time, it IS still a big deal when someone comes out…let alone when they are 16. So, he is still at the very least kinda brave, at least in my eyes.
Nahald
Someday we’ll live in a world where people do not have to “come out” and people will just be people. I NEVER hear straight people declaring their sexuality and at this point I fond it self-depreciating that gay people find it necessary to do that.
DCguy
Every time a straight man says “My girlfriend” or a straight woman says “My boyfriend” they have come out. Everytime a straight couple walks along the sidewalk with a baby carriage, or holding hands, or have a picture of their spouse up at work they’ve come out.
Every time a straight woman has a wedding shower, or shows off her engagement ring, or puts down her husbands name on her work insurance she comes out.
Every time a straight man puts his wife’s name on his Social Security paperwork, or sits with her in a restaurant and has his arm around her he’s come out.
It just takes more bravery for lgbts to do it.
Alan down in Florida
” I NEVER hear straight people declaring their sexuality ” But you do. “I ain’t no fag,” “I don’t swing that way” are just two of hundreds of ways straight people declare their sexuality over and beyond the standard “Sorry but I’m straight” or “I’m into girls not guys” remarks. Besides, being straight is the default position. Unless they tell you otherwise most people assume you are straight. 90% of people are. There’s no need for heterosexuals to come out as such. Sadly sometimes straight people declare their sexuality silently, like a thrown fist.
Knight
Alan I agree that many straight guys/women can be militant about their sexuality. But at the same time, some are FORCED into making such declarations, since “no, thank you” doesn’t always work. In the pretty recent past, before I ever did anything with other guys, people would come up to me at the locker room at my gym and be pretty forceful and downright gross (not going into it, but you can pretty much imagine). For a kid, it can be pretty traumatizing which was one of the reasons I never did anything with guys for so long. In other words, sometimes people don’t take a hint, so the “I’m straight…leave me the ‘eff alone!” is one of the last lines of defense.