This may seem silly, but I think it’s worth saying.

The news of Naya Rivera’s death hits hard. Obviously, I didn’t know her personally. Like many other people, I found her through her work on Glee, which I started watching sometime at the beginning of highschool.

The show wasn’t perfect, but I’ve always thought that one of its best parts was how it portrayed Santana’s sexuality, and her relationship with Brittany. Glee was one of the first pieces of media that I had access to which portrayed queer women in a positive, loving relationship.

I’m know she was also one of the earlier characters to provide intersectional representation for Latinx women in the LGBTQ+ community. I never came out in highschool, but seeing a character as cool she was living so authentically was a comfort as I navigated my own feelings.

A large part of Santana’s storyline came about because of Naya’s awareness; it was her, along with Heather Morris, who urged Glee to take their relationship seriously after fans expressed how Santana/Brittana had made them feel welcome, accepted, and safe.

Santana’s fear, journey was honest to the experiences of young LGBTQ+ women, and Naya took her role as an ally seriously. No media is created in a vacuum, and I know that the work she put into Santana paved the way for stories that expanded upon the boundaries of inclusion.

Stories which provide the same comfort and happiness this show gave me when I needed it most.

Coupled with the tragedy of a son losing his mother, and her castmates losing another long-time friend, her death comes as a heartbreaking shock to many, myself included.

May her family and friends take comfort in knowing that Naya’s work resonated deeply with so many.

#NayaRivera