Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness becomes first non-female British Cosmopolitan cover star in 35 years

'Keep up inspiring people by being who you are, and thank you, for sharing this light,' a fan tweets

(Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith/PA Wire)

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness has made history by becoming the first solo, non-female Cosmopolitan UK cover star in 35 years.

The grooming expert revealed his cover on Twitter and Instagram, thanking the publication for “showing more variations of beauty for young LGBTQ+ people”.

Van Ness has previously stated that he identifies as non-binary and gender non-conforming, saying that his preferred pronouns are “he/him/his”.

The last non-female-identifiying individual to appear as a solo cover star in Cosmopolitan UK was singer Boy George, who landed the coveted spot in 1984, while boy band One Direction were featured on the cover as a group in 2012.

In the cover image for the January 2020 issue of Cosmopolitan UK, Van Ness wears an orange and pink tulle gown by American fashion designer Christian Siriano, accessorising with Nike trainers and striped socks.

(Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith/PA Wire (Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith/PA Wire)

Several of his social media followers have praised him for his “stunning cover”, some of whom drew parallels between his gown of choice and the 1895 painting Flaming June, by Sir Frederic Leighton.

“I just adore everything about this and honestly makes me feel like I can just do anything, thank you for blessing me with this,” one person tweeted.

“You are like a unicorn. Beautiful, unicorn and just as mythical,” another wrote.

“Keep up inspiring people by being who you are, and thank you, for sharing this light.”

(Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith/PA Wire (Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith/PA Wire)

A number of Van Ness’ celebrity friends also showered his Cosmopolitan cover with praise, including his Queer Eye co-stars.

“LOOK AT OUR LITTLE BABY!!!” interior designer Bobby Berk commented on Instagram.

“THIS IS SO AWESOME, JACKAAAAAYYY!!! I’M OVER THE MOON FOR YOU, AND YOU LOOK AMAZING!” wrote the show’s resident fashion expert Tan France.

(Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith/PA Wire (Cosmopolitan UK/Rachell Smith/PA Wire)

Earlier this year, Van Ness revealed he has been living with HIV for the past six years.

The 32-year-old shared his diagnosis in his memoir Over the Top, extracts from which were published in The New York Times.

Van Ness said he hopes to combat the stigma that surrounds HIV by raising awareness of the condition.

“I was like, ‘The Trump administration has done everything they can do to have the stigmatisation of the LGBT+ community thrive around me.’ I do feel the need to talk about this,” he stated.

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