Olivia Ponton on learning to love herself

Like any public figure, Ponton has had her fair share of toxicity plaguing her comment sections. She often refuses to check her phone for days on end, simply ignoring what trolls and critics have to say. These survival tactics have helped preserve her peace of mind as she learns to prioritize mental health and wellness. “It is very hard to read such negative things about yourself from other people. The best thing to do is just block it out.”

However, the spotlight social media has shed onto her personal life has been all too blinding at times — particularly regarding Ponton’s public coming out in 2021. While she explains that she’s now proudly part of the LGBTQ+ community, Ponton initially wrestled with many misconceptions and stereotypes.

“It was always kind of a thought in the back of my brain, but I was never going to do anything about it. I struggled with a lot of internalized homophobia. I thought, ‘No, I don’t fit into the picture of what a stereotypical person who’s part of the LGBTQ community looks like.’ And then I fell in love with someone, and they were female. I realized, ‘Oh, I’m in love with a girl. I think I’m a part of the LGBTQ community now.’”

Reflecting on the validity of her feelings and doubts about being accepted, Ponton explains the challenge of coming to terms with her sexuality. “It’s hard for everyone. But I have supportive people around me now — people who really think love is love,” she says. “It doesn’t matter who you love, nor should it really matter to anyone who you love. Having people who are completely accepting of anything has been such a beautiful thing in my life.”

Ponton knows that identity and image are vulnerable subjects for many. She wants her platform to become a safe space, hoping her audience — primarily young girls and women — can feel more comfortable in their own skin. 

“For a long time, people, even myself, were scared,” Ponton says. “I was scared of what other opinions were going to be. I was scared of my parents, I was scared of my friends and if they were going to be okay with me and who I was choosing to love at the time. Especially during the month of June, I think it’s so important to be able to say ‘I’m really proud of who I am,’ and to be around people and focus on the history of what it has taken for us to get here as a community.”

She praises the efforts of celebrities like Adele, Harry Styles and Madison Beer who have publicly pledged their support to the LGBTQ+ community and celebrated pride. “It’s little things like that that really mean a lot to the people watching,” Ponton says, acknowledging how Styles and Beer have brandished rainbow flags at their concerts.

Equipped with her own sizable platform, Ponton strives to use her voice to champion change and contribute to a larger dialogue. “Every person should do it in a way that makes them feel comfortable,” she says of the overwhelming obligation and responsibility to speak out. “As an influencer, you shouldn’t feel the need to talk about anything, but you should want to.” Ponton reflects on how increasing visibility and awareness around topics like mental health allows those important conversations to be “here and around us.” 

“If it’s something that is normalized, it won’t need to be as much of a deep, hard conversation, where we can just say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m going through.’ Hopefully, we get to a point where it is like that, and it is celebrated.”

As enlightening as the last few years have been, one of the most important lessons Ponton has learned comes from within. The trust she can now invest in herself as a result of her journey is virtually indestructible. The faith she has in her future will carry her further than she once imagined.

“Be your own individual self and focus on learning who you are,” Ponton says. “Once you are confident and secure within yourself, nobody can really mess with your emotions or your feelings. You have a clear vision of what you want and who you are.”