Hayley Kiyoko on ‘Girls Like Girls,’ Lesbian Summer, and the Power of Queer Representation

Lesbian summer is officially here. 🌈☀️ We caught up with Hayley Kiyoko, Maya da Costa, and Myra Molloy to talk all things Girls Like Girls, from turning a beloved music video into a feature film to the quiet moments of first love that make the story feel so universal. Hayley also opens up about how a lack of queer representation shaped her as an artist, why she had to create the music she always wished she had growing up, and the emotional full-circle moment of incorporating songs she first wrote as a teenager into the film. Plus, the trio discusses the importance of showing love through glances, small gestures, and the unspoken language that so many queer people know all too well. Girls Like Girls is now in theaters. 00:00 Hayley Kiyoko declares it “Lesbian Summer” 00:44 How Girls Like Girls became a 10-year journey 01:03 Growing up without queer representation 01:31 The hidden musical Easter eggs in the film 02:06 Hayley reacts to her iconic “accidentally queer” roles 02:19 Maya da Costa and Myra Molloy on portraying first love 03:25 Why the film’s quiet moments feel so authentic 03:46 The message they hope queer audiences take away from the film Clips courtesy of Focus Features Interview by Caitlynn McDaniel