Hayley Kiyoko’s song Girls Like Girls, which was later adapted into a book of the same name, is finally being adapted into a movie, also of the same name, and I am so beyond ready for it. Hayley Kiyoko was one of the earliest openly lesbian artists I heard of as a teenager and, like most young teenage girls discovering their sexuality, Girls Like Girls was one of the first music videos I fell in love with. The music video depicts a young, blossoming romance between two teenage girls who are both struggling with their sexuality. Kiyoko’s song and music video were one of my earliest exposures to lesbian media and one that really stuck with me even today.
In the times of Heated Rivalry and Red, White, and Royal Blue, lesbian media is limited and often gets canceled before it even starts, leaving a large gap in LGBTQ+ media, as lesbian romance is rarely represented in quality media the way gay male romance is. This leaves lesbians everywhere clinging to the subplot of a popular TV show or hoping that Netflix doesn’t cancel the series after one 6 episode series. Or in the case of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, hearing news that it’s going to be made into a series, only for nothing to ever come of it. Lesbian media can be hard to come by, but I hope that with the release of the film this June, it can help open more doors for lesbian romance in mainstream media, the same way her song did.
Beyond the hit song, Hayley Kiyoko has released multiple albums since, my favorite being Expectations, and two bestselling books, Girls Like Girls and Where There’s Room for Us. So, let’s all support amazing lesbian romances and anticipate Girls Like Girls releasing June 19th this year!