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| Naya Rivera: Why Glee's Santana was so important to young LGBT women | Naya Rivera: Why Glee's Santana was so important to young LGBT women |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| "Watching Naya Rivera in Glee was like: That's me, that's a little bit of me up there." | "Watching Naya Rivera in Glee was like: That's me, that's a little bit of me up there." |
| Millions of people watched Glee for the drama, the cover versions, the comedy - and the positive representation of a relationship between two LGBT women. | Millions of people watched Glee for the drama, the cover versions, the comedy - and the positive representation of a relationship between two LGBT women. |
| Naya played cheerleader Santana Lopez, who discovered she was a lesbian when she fell for her best friend, Brittany. | Naya played cheerleader Santana Lopez, who discovered she was a lesbian when she fell for her best friend, Brittany. |
| Her body was recovered from a lake in California after going missing last week while on a day out with her son. | Her body was recovered from a lake in California after going missing last week while on a day out with her son. |
| Young LGBT women have been speaking to Radio 1 Newsbeat about the impact Santana and her storylines had on them as they watched the show in their early teens. | Young LGBT women have been speaking to Radio 1 Newsbeat about the impact Santana and her storylines had on them as they watched the show in their early teens. |
| "I was 12 or 13, I was so young and I was thinking these things. I was so terrified to say them or ever act on them," 21-year-old Claire Rowden, who's bisexual, says. | "I was 12 or 13, I was so young and I was thinking these things. I was so terrified to say them or ever act on them," 21-year-old Claire Rowden, who's bisexual, says. |
| "It was just a little knock on the door being like, 'hey, it's OK, what you're feeling is real, and it's special. It's not something to feel, ashamed or uncomfortable about'." | |
| She describes Naya's performance as the gay cheerleader as "a breath of fresh air" at a time in her life when she was feeling "suffocated" coming to terms with her own sexuality. | She describes Naya's performance as the gay cheerleader as "a breath of fresh air" at a time in her life when she was feeling "suffocated" coming to terms with her own sexuality. |
| "That's why representation is so deeply important," she says. | "That's why representation is so deeply important," she says. |
| "That representation meant the absolute world to me, because I was looking at her not as Naya. I was looking at her as Santana." | "That representation meant the absolute world to me, because I was looking at her not as Naya. I was looking at her as Santana." |
| Naya wasn't gay, but spoke about her pride at portraying a lesbian in the show. | Naya wasn't gay, but spoke about her pride at portraying a lesbian in the show. |
| Now, casting straight actors in LGBT roles is frowned upon. | Now, casting straight actors in LGBT roles is frowned upon. |
| Naya's Glee cast-mate Darren Criss promised in 2018 that he wouldn't play gay characters again. | Naya's Glee cast-mate Darren Criss promised in 2018 that he wouldn't play gay characters again. |
| "At the time there wasn't really anything at all on TV, especially queer women," says Imogen Davis, who's 25 and gay. | "At the time there wasn't really anything at all on TV, especially queer women," says Imogen Davis, who's 25 and gay. |
| "I never saw any lesbian characters really on TV that weren't the butt of the joke, or where they weren't some sort of home-wrecker or something negative. | "I never saw any lesbian characters really on TV that weren't the butt of the joke, or where they weren't some sort of home-wrecker or something negative. |
| "I don't think for the time that casting a straight actress was bad. I think it did more good than it did bad." | "I don't think for the time that casting a straight actress was bad. I think it did more good than it did bad." |
| Imogen's a musician now, and not only did Glee help her understand her sexuality, it also gave her the confidence to go into music. | Imogen's a musician now, and not only did Glee help her understand her sexuality, it also gave her the confidence to go into music. |
| After all, Glee was loved (and mocked) most for its songs. | |
| "Santana not only showed me it was OK to go down that route of being a creative as a career, but to be gay and be open about who I am and do that at the same time," Imogen says. | "Santana not only showed me it was OK to go down that route of being a creative as a career, but to be gay and be open about who I am and do that at the same time," Imogen says. |
| "I have no idea where I'd be or what career I'd be doing or who I'd be if it wasn't for the show." | "I have no idea where I'd be or what career I'd be doing or who I'd be if it wasn't for the show." |
| She says watching Santana "thrive and have respect" was what showed her it was "OK to be gay and be myself." | She says watching Santana "thrive and have respect" was what showed her it was "OK to be gay and be myself." |
| 'Flawed characters' | 'Flawed characters' |
| As any Glee fan will remember, Santana wasn't exactly a hero on the show. At times she could be rude and insulting to other Glee club members, especially in early series of the show. | As any Glee fan will remember, Santana wasn't exactly a hero on the show. At times she could be rude and insulting to other Glee club members, especially in early series of the show. |
| "She wasn't a perfect character," says Ellen Jones, who's 21 and gay. | "She wasn't a perfect character," says Ellen Jones, who's 21 and gay. |
| "So often when we see minorities on screen, the representation we have, they have to be perfect. | "So often when we see minorities on screen, the representation we have, they have to be perfect. |
| "These are all flawed characters, but, people are flawed. And so it was a way of being like, yes, you can just exist." | "These are all flawed characters, but, people are flawed. And so it was a way of being like, yes, you can just exist." |
| Ellen says that she would probably feel differently about casting a heterosexual actress in a role like that now, but at the time, "it was enough for me to just see a LGBT character on screen." | Ellen says that she would probably feel differently about casting a heterosexual actress in a role like that now, but at the time, "it was enough for me to just see a LGBT character on screen." |
| Santana's impact on people like Claire, Imogen and Ellen is just one of the reasons the actress's death has been hard for a lot of people. | Santana's impact on people like Claire, Imogen and Ellen is just one of the reasons the actress's death has been hard for a lot of people. |
| "You think that the people who were important to you growing up - and she was only a little bit older than me - will always be around and they will always be existing, thriving and living their lives," adds Ellen. | "You think that the people who were important to you growing up - and she was only a little bit older than me - will always be around and they will always be existing, thriving and living their lives," adds Ellen. |
| "But that's not always the case." | "But that's not always the case." |
| Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. | Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. |
| Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. | Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. |