Why is LGBTQ+ Media Representation Important?

One factor to consider is that when more LGBTQ people are included in the media this means that they are actually seen by society as opposed to being rendered unseen or invisible. When people are able to see something represented, they are better able to understand and grasp who those people are, and this creates an important shift in the social consciousness to include people from a range of different backgrounds.

Another crucial piece to consider is that when people see representations of themselves in the media, this can foster a great sense of affirmation of their identity. Feeling affirmed with one’s own sense of self can boost positive feelings of self-worth, which is quite different than feeling as if you are wrong or bad for being who you are.

​O'Brien, Jennifer. “Why Visibility Matters.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 14 Nov. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-things-lgbtq/201711/why-visibility-matters.

The following media recommendations were made by club members

Books

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston; A fake political friendship between two boys turns into a secret relationship.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller; Told from the perspective of Patroclus, the companion to Achilles, the book details the deep relationship that springs up between the two men after Patroclus is sent to live with Achilles at his father’s court.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson; A novel that reflects on the journey to becoming the person you really are, looking at the lives of twins Jude and Noah, who are close but drift apart.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo; A fantasy novel about a deadly heist pulled off by a crew that is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction - if they don’t kill each other first.

The Last Sun by KD Edwards; The first in an urban fantasy series where the last member of a murdered House searches for a missing nobleman, and uncovers clues about his own tortured past.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender; A revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Pulp by Robin Talley; A 21st century queer girl discovering the life of a lesbian in 1950s McCarthyist America.

​The Black Veins by Ashia Monet; YA urban fantasy about a group of QPOC magicians on a road trip.

Compass Rose by Anna Burke; Adult dystopian with f/f subplot

Crier’s War by Nina Varela; YA fantasy, f/f enemies to lovers

HeartStopper graphic novels