Hayley Kiyoko Claims She Came Out As A Lesbian In A Bid To 'Normalise' Her Sexuality

Hayley Kiyoko said she accepted her sexuality and the label of lesbian to help other people.

Hayley Kiyoko is a revered in the gay community after she came out as gay and posted the now legendary tweet, “It’s our year, it’s our time to thrive and let our souls feel alive.” Then she ended the tweet with the now-famous hashtag #20GAYTEEN, which cemented her legacy as the premier gay voice in the marginalized community.

The ‘Lesbian Jesus’ as some fans like to call her recently said she didn’t want to label her sexuality after she cames out. According to a recent interview, she said she wanted to dispel with the label of lesbian but then accepted it so it can help normalize the coming out process for others.

Hayley recently stopped by Billboard and Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit where she was asked about her coming out process and the label of lesbian. She said, “I didn’t want a label at all, but once I released my music, there was this outpour of support for the fact that I did like girls. I learned that by embracing my label as a lesbian, I was helping normalize that for so many other people.”

Hayley’s word is like god’s commandments, but still, she said at the interview how she felt like her work in the community was not enough. Hayley said she always thought she could do more and help out more to make the LGBTQ community more visible. She said, “Sometimes you get overwhelmed: I’m not doing enough, I’m not saying enough, she said. I just focus on keeping people alive. If you can inspire hope and give light when people are in that darkness, they will help you make this world a better place.”

Watch: The video for 'Sleepover' by Hayley Kiyoko

After the embracing of her sexuality and taking the lesbian label, Hayley said she was asked to tone down her sexuality in her music, but she refused. In an interview, she said, “My sexuality, loving myself and expressing my love for others is not something that’s negotiable. There’s no toning that down because this is who I am, and this is what I experience. I can’t change that. I still have a lot of room to grow as a person and think that anyone being brave, bold, and willing enough to stand up for what they believe in and protest is really inspiring.

No matter how Hayley feels, she is clearly stepping up for her community and helping normalize and promote acceptance of gay people. Hayley recently appeared in the music video of You Need To Calm Down from Taylor Swift's upcoming album whose dates she announced at the Teen Choice Awards. Being with Taylor in the video meant she was hounded by the question about the easter eggs from the song, she replied, “I don’t have the information. You need to calm down!” Taylor was criticized for the video and was accused of using gay people as props; the star-studded cameo appearance on the video included Ellen DeGeneres and the Queer Eye’s Fab Five.

Watch: The video for You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift

Hayley Kiyoko is currently starring in a teen drama for Facebook Watch which recently premiered its second season on 5 August 2019.