Everything Ezra Sosa has said about his sexuality as he hopes for a same-sex DWTS partner
'Coming out was the hardest, easiest thing I ever did'
Dancing With the Stars pro Ezra Sosa publicly came out as gay in June 2022, when he was just 21 years old. In the years since coming out, Ezra has opened up about his sexuality and how he now hopes to be in a same-sex pairing on DWTS.
Ezra grew up in a Mormon household in Utah, so he felt “shoved into a box.” And that dance was his one outlet he had where he could be himself. Ezra’s coming out journey started with Dancing With the Stars, after meeting JoJo Siwa, the first DWTS woman to be in a same-sex pairing.
“[JoJo] saw that and she just wanted me to see how powerful it is to be gay and how amazing it is to be comfortable in your own skin,” he said on Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe. “I’ll never forget that act of kindness and service that she did for me in that time because if it wasn’t for that, I don’t think I would have been able to come out publicly.”
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Ezra said that he was “afraid of losing the people I cared about” and that his parents, at first, weren’t supportive. “Even when my parents were starting to find out that I was gay, they were very like, ‘No, this is not okay. if you do this, this is the path you’ll go down.’ And I don’t even think my parents knew and understood what is was like to be gay in those times.”
“Coming out was the hardest, easiest thing I ever did,” Ezra said. He came out in 2022 by posting on Instagram. “My hands were shaking and I sent it and I was freaking out. And then days went by and everyone still loved me the same.”
“I was told by many people—not by anyone a part of the show—that I couldn’t be openly gay on Dancing With the Stars,” Ezra recounted to E! News. “That’s really hard to hear, especially when that’s your biggest dream. But if I listened to them, I wouldn’t be here today. So, it’s really important to keep those dreams going.”
“The arts is something that’s so important, especially in the queer community, especially in queer youth, because when I was a kid and I couldn’t voice how I felt and I couldn’t even tell people who I was, I was able to go to a dance studio, play some music and I was able to express myself in ways that words couldn’t.”
“To be able to go out on the road and see all the queer people that come to the show just to watch me is so, so, so special,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a greater full circle moment.”
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He’s also spoken out about wanting to be in a same-sex partnership on Dancing With the Stars. Speaking to Out, Ezra revealed he’s been lobbying behind the scenes to make it happen. “I’ve put in my word to the casting director. We’ll see what happens over time,” he said.
He went on: “I’m working my magic! I definitely want that 100 per cent to happen. That’s actually been my dream ever since I joined the show.”
For Ezra, it’s about more than the competition. He sees it as part of a wider push for LGBTQ+ visibility on mainstream TV. “I’ve been so passionate about same-sex dancing in general, especially being part of the queer community,” he said.
It’s something he already brings to the ballroom every week, from his choreography to the cultural references he weaves into his routines. “Every single time I choreograph on the show, I’ll always nod to my community or pop culture,” he said. “Representation truly does matter.”
He added: “When I joined the show, I never thought there would be a space for an openly gay pro to be on Dancing With The Stars. I’m very lucky to be here.”