I learned what gay people are at the age of 9 when I walked in on my older sister watching Glee and saw two boys kissing. I gasped and shouted, “Ew!” And when my sister replied, “What’s wrong with that?” I took a moment of reflection and realized nothing was wrong. My opinion was changed with the influence of television. I look back at that moment now and understand the power that the media has on perception. Then of course, middle school came around, and at the age of 12, I was lost in love with my best friend; a girl. I’d never liked a girl before. I was so confused and disgusted with myself. Middle school was bound to be an insecure time, but it’s a lot harder when you can’t accept a part of yourself that you cannot change. Meanwhile, like all of my other middle school friends with Netflix subscriptions, I was watching Heartstopper. Alone in my room, I watched Nick Nelson take an “Am I Gay?” quiz with the song “Why am I like this?” playing in the background of the scene while he tries to understand his feelings for Charlie; another boy. For the first time, I really saw myself in a character, and my tears came at the same time as Nicks. My perception was once again changed, and with the power of television, I realized I’m not alone. Of course, my lack of self acceptance wasn’t cured, and I continued to suppress myself. I spent my high school years convincing myself that everyone else deserved acceptance, but not me. Logic doesn’t mix well with insecurity. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to be myself completely, because I would be confined to my sexuality. People have a way of perceiving queer people, and that’s a difficult thing to change. Then, at the start of senior year, Heated Rivalry was released, and I was able to see two very strong, masculine men fall in love. Two equals with no systemic power differences, just a deep love for each other. My perception grew to realize that queer people come in all different forms. This was something I already knew, because I’ve lived in my body for 17 years, but I didn’t know the world would ever be able to understand it. And with Heated Rivalry’s overwhelming success, I felt the world finally understanding love has many different forms. Inspired by television's powerful influence on perception, I dedicated my AP Research project to understand the state of LGBT representation in mainstream media. I’ve been helped in so many ways by feeling represented in the content I consume. I conducted a content analysis, measuring stereotypes in Heartbreak High, and making thoughtful observations on how characters can be represented as nuanced and complex characters, instead of being confined to their sexual orientations. I learned early during my sister's Glee-watching days how powerful perception is influenced by the media, and this is my first step to proving that to everyone else. My senior year is now coming to a close, and the love and acceptance I have for myself has come so far. I will be attending Dodge College at Chapman University and majoring in Writing for Film and Television. My passion for writing is powered by the need to shift an audience's perspective, because that has been so key in my journey of self-acceptance. I hope to inspire others to perceive queer people as equals, and other girls like me to perceive themselves as deserving. That is the power I believe television has.