Hayley Kiyoko to Be Honored for Her LGBTQ Advocacy Work at The Trevor Project's Gala

She'll receive the Youth Innovator Award at the TrevorLIVE ceremony in Los Angeles on Nov. 17.

By Alyssa Morin Oct 09, 2019 4:00 PMTags
Watch: Hayley Kiyoko Is Proud to Be in the LGBTQ Community

Congrats are in order for Hayley Kiyoko!

The "Sleepover" singer, who has been a vocal advocate of the LGBTQ community, is being honored at The Trevor Project's gala this year, where she'll receive the Youth Innovator Award at the TrevorLIVE ceremony in Los Angeles on Nov. 17.

The Trevor Project is touted as the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. And Hayley's commitment to supporting the LGBTQ community is one of the many reasons she's being praised by the organization. Of course, this award also holds a special place in her heart.

"I'm honored to be recognized by The Trevor Project, an organization that's helping to bridge the isolation youth feel in crisis," she said in a press release sent to E! News. "Growing up I felt the isolation of being different, so I am beyond grateful for the work they do because creating a safe space can truly help people feel less alone."

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How Hayley Kiyoko Made Her Sexuality Her "Biggest Strength"

She explained that her "goal" is to keep inspiring hope for others.

"Through songwriting and directing music videos, I have been able to share my personal experiences of love and identity with an audience that has struggled with mainstream representation in pop music over the years." she shared. "My biggest goal is always to inspire hope."

Considering she's been dubbed the "Lesbian Jesus," it seems the XOXO actress is already doing just that.

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Earlier this year, the "Curious" singer opened up about her sexuality and how it's become her "biggest strength."

"My biggest weakness growing up was that I was gay and I was different from everyone else," she told Kelly Clarkson on The Kelly Clarkson Show. "Now it's become my biggest strength, because it's empowered me."

She added, "I really feared growing up because I was like, life is going to be so difficult and people are just not going to understand. And going into my music career, I was just like, if I'm scared, everyone else will be. So, I have to embrace who I am, I have to be the brave one because if I take that first step, everyone else will follow."

Her LGBTQ advocacy work certainly hasn't gone unnoticed! According to the press release, The Trevor Project knows the amount of work the "Sleepover" singer has done, like "using her voice in the music industry to shine a light on marginalized communities."

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"Her support has included the use of her "One Bad Night" music video to raise awareness about violence against transgender women," the organization shared, adding, "Donating bras from her sold-out Expectations tour to homeless LGBTQ; youth teaming up with Cameo to raise money on their platform for The Trevor Project; and continued recognition and representation of queer women of color on a national stage."

In addition to Hayley's award, the organization's gala will also include special attendees such as YouTube personality, author and activist, Gigi Gorgeous, and Miss Shalae, who is the number one Beyoncé impersonator in the world.

For those who aren't lucky enough to attend the star-studded event, the awards ceremony will be live-streamed! You can tune-in to the fabulous affair on The Trevor Project's social media accounts—Twitter, Facebook and YouTube—which is powered by Revry (the first queer global streaming network). It will air at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST.