LogFAQs > #965038118

2022 is a bit late to learn about parasocial contact hypothesis and the positive effect that consuming a diverse media has on humanizing outgroups to a broader ignorant society with no natural exposure to them. Like this is stuff that's been talked and forming our media for literal decades, you watch a show like Fresh Prince and you're exposed to a relatable cast of characters you can bond with, developing a parasocial attachment that allows you to empathize with people and their issues that you aren't normally exposed to.

When I was growing up, the media I consumed regularly and solely portrayed trans women as disgusting, perverted, deceptive men. Throughout my childhood and teenage years even though I was *very privately* exploring my own gender identity, I could not relate to the only depictions I was shown on TV that were always ridiculed - obvious I didn't want that to be me, and I was frightened at the thought of being found out and people thinking that of me.

The poor representation of transness in the media I grew up with kept me in the closet til my late 20s as I still had my own long-implanted issues with transphobia to unravel my own validity. I wish I could have opened up my world sooner but until time travel's a thing I'll just be glad to see greater representation for those after me.

If you just wanna chime in that you individually don't care to be represented then good for you, sit down and you can keep not caring while others do.