Let’s be real: people have been asking this question since the George W. Bush administration. The second that catchy guitar riff of "I Kissed a Girl" hit the radio in 2008, Katy Perry became a permanent fixture in the conversation about pop culture and sexuality.
But is she a lesbian? Basically, the answer is no. Katy Perry has never identified as a lesbian. She has, however, been extremely vocal about her own "curiosity," her past experiences with women, and her journey from a strict religious upbringing to becoming one of the most visible allies in the music industry. Honestly, her story is a lot more nuanced than just a "yes" or "no" checkbox.
The Song That Started It All
"I Kissed a Girl" wasn't just a hit. It was a cultural earthquake. At the time, Katy was a 23-year-old former gospel singer trying to make it in the big world of pop. The lyrics—"the taste of her cherry Chapstick"—were scandalous for 2008.
For years, critics accused her of "queerbaiting" or using lesbianism as a costume to sell records. But Katy eventually set the record straight. In a 2017 speech while accepting the National Equality Award at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Gala, she admitted, "Truth be told, I did more than that."
She wasn't just singing a character. She was singing about her life.
She described herself as a "curious" young woman who knew, even then, that sexuality wasn't as "black and white as this dress." This was a huge moment. It moved her from being someone who just sang a provocative song to someone who had actually lived through the struggle of reconciling her desires with her faith.
Growing Up in "Jesus Camps"
You can't talk about Katy Perry’s sexuality without talking about her parents. They are devout Pentecostal pastors. Growing up, Katy wasn't even allowed to eat Lucky Charms because "luck" sounded too much like "Lucifer."
She told the HRC audience that she spent much of her "unconscious adolescence" trying to "pray the gay away" at Jesus camps.
"I wanted the pearly gates and the unlimited fro-yo toppings," she joked, but the pain behind it was real.
When she finally left that bubble at 17 and moved to Los Angeles, her world exploded. She met people who were "free, strong, kind, and inclusive," and she realized that the people she had been taught to fear were actually her "tribe."
Her Very Public Dating History
If we look at the evidence of her romantic life over the last two decades, it’s a list of very famous men.
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- Matt Thiessen: Her early 2000s boyfriend from the band Relient K.
- Travie McCoy: The Gym Class Heroes frontman she dated during her rise to fame.
- Russell Brand: Her whirlwind marriage that ended via text message after just 14 months.
- John Mayer: An on-again, off-again relationship that fueled a lot of tabloid headlines.
- Orlando Bloom: Her most significant partner. They were together for nearly nine years, got engaged in 2019, and share a daughter, Daisy Dove.
By mid-2025, news broke that Katy and Orlando had mutually ended their engagement. Since then, rumors have swirled about her being seen with others—including a widely reported "date" with Justin Trudeau in late 2025—but she has consistently remained in the "heterosexual but fluid-past" category.
So, is she Bisexual?
Katy hasn't officially slapped the "bisexual" label on herself. She usually uses the term "ally" when talking about her current identity.
In a 2024 appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she looked back at her 17-year-old self. She said she started "experimenting" once the rules and restrictions of her childhood were gone. She had those experiences, and then she sang about them.
Does having experiences with women make you a lesbian? Not necessarily. For Katy, it seems those experiences were a part of her "evolution" and her "curiosity," but they didn't define her long-term identity as a lesbian or bisexual woman.
Why the Confusion Persists
The reason people keep asking "is Katy Perry a lesbian" in 2026 is because she occupies a very specific space in the LGBTQ+ community.
- The Icons Factor: She leans heavily into camp, drag aesthetics, and over-the-top "diva" energy.
- The Lyrics: Beyond "I Kissed a Girl," songs like "Walking on Air" are considered "gay anthems."
- The Fanbase: Katy herself has said that about 50% of her audience is from the LGBTQ+ community. She calls her Las Vegas residency a "show for the community."
She is a "champion" and a "spotlight" for the community, but she identifies as a woman who has moved past her "praying the gay away" phase into a place of secure allyship.
The Verdict
Katy Perry is not a lesbian. She is a woman who has been open about her past same-sex experiences and her "curiosity," but her primary romantic relationships throughout her adult life have been with men.
She remains one of the most important allies in pop music, specifically because she understands the "religious trauma" side of the conversation. She’s real about the fact that she didn’t always get it right, but she’s committed to standing with her "tribe."
Actionable Takeaways
If you’re trying to understand the nuances of celebrity sexuality or just Katy’s specific journey, here is what you should keep in mind:
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- Labels are personal: Just because someone has had same-sex experiences (as Katy admitted) doesn't mean they adopt a specific label like "lesbian" or "bisexual."
- Context matters: Much of Katy's early "curious" branding was a reaction to her extremely repressed upbringing.
- Watch the 2017 HRC Speech: If you want to hear her truth in her own words, that 10-minute speech is the most honest she has ever been about her sexuality.
- Respect the "Ally" label: While some fans wish she would claim a queer identity, she has consistently chosen to use her platform as an ally, which is a valid and vital role in its own right.
Understanding Katy Perry’s journey helps us see that sexuality is a spectrum. For her, it was a path of discovery that led her to her "higher self," regardless of who she is dating today.