Poor representation negatively impacts society’s perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community because it preserves flawed, one-dimensional, and stereotypical images of LGBTQ+ individuals. This poor representation also has an impact on people who are LGBTQ+ because they don’t see characters that make it seem like their identity is okay. Instead what they see is a blatantly inaccurate portrayal of their identity, something that might be better described as a mockery. When negative messages about being LGBTQ+ are spread, LGBTQ+ individuals become more inclined to believe these things are true, which can be negative for their mental health. A media that spreads negative messages about being LGBTQ+ and only offers negative, stereotypical representation will lead to LGBTQ+ youth thinking that there is something wrong with them. The number of LGBTQ+ youth that hate themselves and wish they were dead would likely decrease if they had good representation, if they had access to stories that seem realistic enough to provide hope. LGBTQ+ youth need to be able to see themselves as valid, which cannot happen with negative representation. My study impacts all of this because it highlights the fact that there is a problem with LGBTQ+ representation. It also shows that this issue of representation is a problem that can be fixed, and that it is an important problem to fix.