Gay Awakenings & the Media That Made Us Discover Our True Selves

It’s a pivotal moment in any queer person’s life: You’re watching a movie or a TV show and suddenly, you feel different inside. It’s a good kind of feeling—sort of fuzzy, confusing, and even joyous at times. You’re getting to know who you are on the inside and out.

How Cory Monteith Died: Lea Michele Misses Glee Co-Star 'Every Day' 10 Years Later

Western media is filled with cis-hetero-normative stories. Girl likes boy, boy likes girl, happily ever after. We get it. Any queer person who grew up in the late 20th century— and even up until the early 2010s knew LGBTQ+ representation in TV and movies was scarce. But as our population becomes increasingly progressive, we’re starting to see ourselves onscreen more than ever before.

The 'Glee' Cast's Tributes to Naya Rivera After Her Death Will Make You Cry

A queer/gay awakening can lead to understanding who you truly are. Whether you’ve found yourself in a rabbit hole for MLM fan fiction on AO3 or immersed in the queer rave subculture, you’ll always have a soft spot for that piece of media that made it *click* inside of you. We asked several people to share what helped them discover they were not straight—and quickly learned Glee takes the top spot.

Naya Rivera's 'Glee' Cast Is Asking For Prayers After Her Disappearance, Presumed Death at a Lake