Reasons for Pride in 2012, Part 2

Because our kids are impressive too

Pop sensation Hayla, whose dance hit “I’m Free” was written to support an ex-boyfriend she found in bed with another man, was raised by two lesbian moms and is the daughter of a gay hairstylist. Hayla had her first number 1 hit at 17, later sang at Wanda Sykes’s wedding, and watched “I’m Free” dance up the charts this spring. Experiencing the wrath of prejudice during her youth, Hayla says she’s all about love and compassion today. She believes that everyone should be free to express themselves honestly. “I wrote ‘I’m Free’ because I surprisingly found my boyfriend of seven years cheating on me with another man,” explains Hayla. “But guess what? I didn’t freak out at all. Everything was cool because a person needs to be true to himself first. I was just so amazed that I didn’t figure it out sooner! [Laughs] We were both set free to find our true selves.” Her new album, W.E.D.M. 2012, drops in June.