Revisiting Hayley Kiyoko's 'Girls Like Girls': How a queer anthem lost its revolutionary edge over time
Summary
A reflective personal essay examining how Hayley Kiyoko's 2015 music video "Girls Like Girls" — once a revolutionary lifeline for a closeted queer teenager — has lost its emotional resonance over time. The author revisits the video and the new film adaptation, finding that while the original offered a rare, thrilling depiction of queer love, it now feels dated, sanitized, and shaped by the male gaze. The piece explores how queer representation has evolved, how personal growth changes our relationship with media, and why what once felt radical can feel tame in a more inclusive cultural landscape.
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bskyRevisiting Hayley Kiyoko's 'Girls Like Girls': How a queer anthem lost its revolutionary edge over timextramagazine.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledI recognized that intoxicating feeling of having a crush, the thrill of stea
Time has dulled its revolutionary edge
Alone downstairs in the dark, with one earbud in and an eye on the door in case my parents came by, I committed every detail of 'Girls Like Girls' to memory, trying to manifest a lesbian love story of my own.
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