For many minority communities, nothing is more special than seeing themselves, their background and their identity accurately represented in a TV show or movie.
It's a reminder that we not only exist, but we — and by extension, our stories, viewpoints and voices — matter.
While there is always room to improve (especially when it comes to the reactions of diverse casting from the wider public), there were a number of groundbreaking characters in 2022 that championed representation and allowed people to feel seen.
One such example is Ca$h from Heartbreak High, whose storyline touched on his asexuality and how it impacts his relationship with Darren.
I didn’t ever think I’d see an mlm asexual person but here we are and I actually feel represented #HeartbreakHigh
And there's also Quinni, who had a deep and meaningful impact on both the LGBTQ+ and autism communities.
Heartbreak high’s Quinni really gave me the autistic lesbian representation I have literally been looking for my whole life AND SHE’S PLAYED BY AN ACTUAL AUTISTIC PERSON HOLY SHIT #HeartbreakHigh @chloeshayden
Personally, I felt a strong connection to Kate Sharma from Bridgerton. The inclusion of subtle, but significant, details weaved in to represent the Sharma's background made my Indian heart swell with pride.
And I know a lot of people resonated with the overarching themes and the characters in Heartstopper.
just came out as queer to my parents using nicks coming out scene in the show 🥲 feeling emotional rn …