In 2016, only 43 of the 895 regular series characters on scripted prime time television shows  identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer–about 4.8 percent the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation reported.

While this number is small, it is actually the highest number in GLAAD’s annual “Where We Are On TV” report.

A Gallup poll estimates that 4.1 percent of all U.S. adults, or just over 10 million people, identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Among millennials, the youngest group of adults, 7.3 percent identify as LGBTQ+.

The Disney Channel TV show “Andi Mack” made history for introducing the first openly-gay main character in the channel’s history, Oct. 27. The show introduced the channel’s first ever coming out scene during its season two premiere. About 2.1 million people watched this episode, with 1.1 million of those being children aged 6-14.

A popular television show on a popular network, “Andi Mack” is spreading awareness of the issues that LGBTQ+ youth face and is filling the void that is LGBTQ+ representation.

Other television shows (“Orange is the New Black,” “Sense8,” “The Fosters” and “Modern Family”) also feature LGBTQ+ characters. Such coverage offers validation to an often-marginalized demographic.

Supporting television programs, music and movies that have strong LGBTQ+ representation provides a bigger stage and a bigger audience to showcase the everyday stories of the community.

These stories exist in the LQBTQ+ students who are a part of the EHS community.

In this edition of 10 Things, LGBTQ+ students speak about the media.

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