Sapphics, rejoice!
Hayley Kiyoko has proudly pushed the gay agenda for over a decade once she graduated from her Disney Channel days to putting out queer anthems such as "Girls Like Girls," "Curious," "Sleepover," and more.
Since the music video for "Girls Like Girls" racked up over 100 million views on YouTube, Kiyoko wanted to use the record to tell more of her authentic experiences as a closeted lesbian during her adolescence. She released a successful book series based on the hit track, which eventually helped her bring the story vision to movie theaters 10 years after the song's release.
Premiering in the heart of Pride Month, Girls Like Girls follows a teen girl, Coley, who falls in love with her best friend, Sonya. However, both girls are navigating their sexualities and Sonya has a boyfriend, so it's not the easiest relationship to navigate. The relatable plot has resonated with members of the LGBTQ+ community around the world, so Kiyoko is grateful more audiences will be able to connect to the characters on the big screen.
"I've been preaching 'Girls like girls like boys do' for 10 years and it's time for me to pass the torch on to everyone else. I'm so grateful that I never gave up. There were so many times that I felt nuts for trying to make this a reality. My community has continued to foster hope in trying to make this story told on the biggest scale we possibly could," Kiyoko tells Out.
Although Kiyoko came out in her early 20s, the actress served as a gay awakening for queer youth by starring at Stevie in The Wizards of Waverly Place. Despite only appearing in four episodes, fans still talk about the potential relationship between Stevie and Alex Russo, played by Selena Gomez.
"I'm so grateful and honored to be a part of anyone's gay awakening or queer journey in general. I'm so proud to be a lesbian, openly, boldly, and unapologetically. My goal in life is to create a massive safe space of hopeful queer sapphic love stories, whether it's through books or film or television."
It's a major milestone to bring a lesbian story to the big screen, but Kiyoko knows many people are still navigating their own queer journeys in unsafe environments. The star has an inspiring message to anyone in the community struggling to come out.
"I'm always here for you. Just know that you're not alone. People love you and there are kind, good-hearted people out there."
Girls Like Girls is in theaters now. To see the full interview with Hayley Kiyoko, check out the video at the top of the page.
