Olivia Ponton Is Inspiring Young Members of the LGBTQ Community

Olivia Ponton.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

When Olivia Ponton began consistently increasing her profile on TikTok two years ago, the SI Swimsuit model never imagined the impact she would make with her engagement, being able to inspire so many young people in the LGBTQ community.

“It means a lot to me because I am very hyper femme presenting, and I think for the younger girls that are 7 to 15, they’re kind of going through the same thing right now that I was going through, but I didn’t necessarily have anyone to talk to about it,” the 20-year-old said in an interview during 2022 Miami Swim Week. Ponton came out as bisexual in an interview with Teen Vogue in 2021 and now identifies as pansexual. 

As a young girl, Ponton believed that there was a certain way you had to look be a part of the queer community. The Florida native has always presented herself in a very feminine way, contrary to popular “short hair” and “masculine” stereotypes associated with gay women.

“I’m very out there with being super girly and femme and that is something that makes me very happy,” Ponton continued, mentioning that people have approached her to say how much they admire her ability to embrace her style and identity.

She never planned to become an influential member of the LGBTQ community, but she’s extremely proud of her role.

“Girls come up to me like in the streets and [say] I helped them come out and tell their family and like figure out what words to be saying,” she added. “The fact that I’m a part of their journey is crazy.”

Ponton has more than 10.2 million followers across TikTok and Instagram and loves to share all aspects—good, bad and messy—of her life. She thinks her authenticity and vulnerability online are huge factors in her success

“I’m not just posting all the best parts of my life,” Ponton told SI Swimsuit. “I’m posting kind of everything, whether I’m struggling with eating disorders or I’m struggling with anxiety and depression.”

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