15 major LGBTQIA+ moments in pop culture in 2018

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 06: Hayley Kiyoko speaks onstage at Billboard Women In Music 2018 on December 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Billboard )

Hayley Kiyoko makes even more noise for queer women in music

Janelle Monáe wasn’t the only queer woman of color making some noise in the music industry this year! Newcomer Hayley Kiyoko released her debut major label studio album Expectations this year, and it was full of queer-positive anthems.

Hayley, who has been dubbed both “Lesbian Jesus” and “queen of lesbians” by fans, has been very open about her sexuality, so it was no surprise that she used her platform to shine a light on something that is often missing in pop music. For a genre of music that has hoards of LGBTQ fans, there aren’t usually many queer artists that they’re freaking out over. But now they can look up to artists like Troye Sivan, Janelle Monáe, and of course, Hayley Kiyoko.

On the track “What I Need” from Expectations, Kiyoko teamed up with another openly queer artist, Kehlani, and they gave fans exactly what they wanted in the video: Kehlani and Kiyoko playing a couple, ending with them passionately embracing by the side of the road. It wasn’t tongue in cheek; this wasn’t t.A.T.u. or Britney, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera kissing at the VMAs. This was two queer women expressing real love, and that was groundbreaking.

Kiyoko also got the honor of “Rising Star” at Billboard’s 2018 Women in Music ceremony, in front of an audience including icons like Cyndi Lauper and Patti LaBelle. “No one wants to be brave,” she told the crowd. “We’re all terrified. And I’m very grateful for my fans because of their overwhelming support and faith in me.” She also won an MTV VMA for Push Artist of the Year, saying “This validates any queer woman of color that you can follow your dreams.”