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From a five-minute music video to the big-screens, Hayley Kiyoko has taken her sapphic love story to the next level. ‘Girls Like Girls’ the music video—released two days prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the US—was just the beginning of Kiyoko’s interest in creating and advocating for lesbian media. Soon, she published a book under the same title in 2023, but decided to continue its legacy further by directing a coming of age film that released on June 19, 2026.
The premiere took place June 19 in Los Angeles amid Pride Month celebrations across the city. After the premiere, LGBT+ attendees shared their thoughts on the film as they left the screening. One attendee, visual artist Jillian Shea, shared the following:
“I think it’s interesting that she made a bunch of different versions of it,” said visual artist Jillian Shea. “She took one piece of art and made a bunch of different versions of it and just readapted it. I think it’s not very common.”
Girls Like Girls has had an impact on the queer community that extends far beyond simply getting people to the theater. For example, Honey’s, an LA Queer bar, threw a pop-up event on Saturday which involved Kiyoko’s new Girls Like Girls companion album to the film alongside themed cocktails and merch giveaways in anticipation of the movie’s release. People aren't just celebrating the film; it has acted as a catalyst to celebrate queer community and representation as a whole.
The film focuses on two young girls, Sonya and Coley, played by Myra Molloy and Maya da Costa, who navigate a strong but private connection together. This story is set in Oregon and primarily focuses on the girls and the coming of age experiences they face as teenagers. While the concept is meant to be unique, there are still several nods to the original music video as a way to tie together this multimedia project.
While the music video alone has amassed millions of likes from viewers, the Girls Like Girls saga serves as a reminder for the limited positive lesbian representation on screen. Kiyoko's film aims to share the pureness and authenticity of young sapphic love, while straying away from stereotypes like hypersexualisation and tragedy. Such stereotypes are often depicted in popular films and shows like Orange is the New Black, The Hunting Wives, and even The L Word.
In addition to speaking with attendees after the premiere, I also spoke with a Hayley Kiyoko fan, Mia Garcia. Garcia had not yet seen the film but shared her perspective on Kiyoko’s work and the importance of projects like Girls Like Girls for lesbian representation:
“I think specifically when it comes to women-love-women media there are so few stories out there that don’t revolve entirely around guilt and shame or have any happy endings."
Not only is a film focused on a lesbian relationship important for the sapphic community, but the story's journey from music video to novel, album, and feature film has helped make queer representation more accessible to audiences across the United States. For many viewers, the longevity of Girls Like Girls demonstrates how queer stories can find wider audiences when they are adapted across multiple forms of media.
The scarcity of lesbian-centered stories is reflected in data collected by LGBT+ organizations. According to findings from GLAAD in a 2020 report, lesbian representation has "decreased significantly", dropping from 55% in 2018 to now only 36% LGBT-inclusive films.
The movie ended on a cliffhanger with a lot left to be unpacked outside of the theater. This nuanced and tense theme seemed to follow the film from beginning to end.
Girls Like Girls keeps viewers on their toes for an hour and a half. With a fast-paced beginning and a surprising ending, this movie serves as a painstakingly beautiful depiction of queer love and summer romance. Los Angeles local Sky Cato put it simply:
“The ending sucks, but that experience as a queer person sucks.”
Known informally as ‘Lesbian Jesus’ by many in the lesbian community, Kiyoko continues to use her platform to celebrate women who love women through music, books, and film. More than a decade after the original music video debuted, Girls Like Girls continues to evolve alongside the audience that helped turn it into a cultural touchstone for many queer women.
