Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith
Jonathan Van Ness just made history by covering Cosmopolitan U.K.
“First non-female cover star in 35 years,” the Queer Eye star tweeted on Monday. “Thanks for having me @CosmopolitanUK showing more variations of beauty for young LGBTQ+ people YAS QUEEN.”
As fans will recall, Boy George covered the magazine in 1984. One Direction‘s Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson also graced the front of the publication in 2012.
Van Ness, who identifies as non-binary and prefers he/him pronouns, wore a Christian Siriano gown and Nike sneakers for the January issue. Of course, the grooming guru’s co-stars were thrilled about the major milestone.
“THIS IS SO AWESOME, JACKAAAAAYYY!!!” fashion expert Tan France wrote on Instagram. “I’M OVER THE MOON FOR YOU, AND YOU LOOK AMAZING!”
“LOOK AT OUR LITTLE BABY!!!” home design head Bobby Berk added.
In the cover story, the Netflix celeb covered a number of topics.
For instance, he spoke about how he handles pressure and how he avoids burnout.
Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith
“I also now say no to a lot of s–t,” Van Ness told the magazine in regards to the latter. “I mean, stuff I really want to say yes to. The other day, Taylor [Swift] and I were making soup and she asked me to go to a Madonna concert with her. That was the day before my 5:00 a.m. flight to London to come here for this shoot and my tour. I knew it would be an amazing experience. But also…my nervous system. I was a full-time hairdresser and small-business owner, like, 19 months ago. But I hate saying no. I love my friends. I get FOMO. But I have to prioritize self-care. Because if I don’t then my candle will burn out.”
He also spoke about living with HIV. Van Ness shared his diagnosis in his memoir Over the Top, which was released in September.
“This is only the beginning,” Van Ness said. “I’m quickly realizing that there is still so much misunderstanding, so much sensationalizing of living with HIV. The stigma and the difficulty around the process of getting treatment is creating that. My work has only really just begun.”
To read Van Ness’ full interview, check out the January issue of Cosmopolitan U.K., which hits newsstands Dec. 5.