“Lesbian Jesus” has opened up about making Girls Like Girls in a new interview
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY FOCUS FEATURES
Hayley Kiyoko wants everyone to find a “moment of relief and a safe space” in theatres this June with the release of her feature film Girls Like Girls.
When Hayley released the music video for her hit song Girls Like Girls in 2015, just days before same-sex marriage was legalised in the US, she changed queer culture forever. The music video showed a teenage girl who was in love with her best friend, who has a boyfriend. Years later, after being aptly given the name “Lesbian Jesus”, Hayley released a book about the same girl. And later this month, we’ll get to see the film version of this iconic sapphic story.
Speaking in a new interview with Out, Hayley opened up about her own journey. “My experience growing up queer and knowing that I was a lesbian for almost all my life and hiding that, I developed this language of silence. And a lot of my experiences and relationships and situationships were without words.”
“You know, it was a hand on a thigh, it was a glance, it was a look, and for me, I feel like that’s such a vital part of the queer experience. You’re not always able to share outwardly what is going on.”
She also opened up about the troubling times for LGBTQIA+ rights now. Compared to when she wrote the song, Hayley said that it feels as though “we’ve taken 10 steps back.” It’s precisely this reason that films like Girls Like Girls are so important.
“My hope has been to not only make a queer film but an unapologetically queer film,” Hayley added. “And I’m so excited for young queer people to get to see a film so boldly unapologetic during such a heightened political time and a scary time for our community.”
“I hope that it can be just a moment of relief and a safe space for people to go to the theater and know that every person in that theater is their community wherever they live,” she continued.
Girls Like Girls will be in US cinemas on 19 June.
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