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Britney Spears ☆ Mario Testino Outtakes, 2010

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in case anyone tries to tell you otherwise:

it’s possible to respect the privacy and grief of naya’s family and friends during what is undoubtedly a tragic, heartbreaking time in their lives, while also acknowledging the impact she’s had on your own life as well

we obviously didn’t know her personally and I cannot even begin to fathom the hurt her family and friends are experiencing. but I think a lot of us are here, together, because of her influence. I can only speak for myself but my life is better and enriched in so many ways because of the work Naya has done and the immense talent and humor she graced us with. this doesn’t even begin to address her influence on the LGBTQ+ community

very importantly, she brought me to everyone here. and the friendships and bonds I’ve made here were life-changing.

don’t feel guilty for being sad. we can all be sad here, together

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Naya’s reaction to Mychal’s touchdown (x)

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the thing about santana is that she was the first lesbian character for so many of us. the first one that was never treated like a joke, who was a person outside of her sexuality, who had flaws and wonderful traits and who loved with everything she had in her. lesbians are still incredibly underrepresented, but in 2011, santana was pretty much it for so many of us. there were others, but santana was the first time so many of us young gay women actually saw ourselves in a character. saw ourselves as real people who could love other girls and still be a complicated and strong and messy and brave human being.

we owe that to naya. without naya, santana’s sexuality would have never been given the respect and care that it deserved. naya saw us, heard us, and fought for us, at a time when it felt like not a lot of people did.

so many of the gay women i met during my glee fandom days have come away and said that santana helped them discover themselves. so many gay women that i’ve met in the years since look back at santana fondly. i see teenage girls now that are watching glee for the first time, and falling in love with santana and her story as we all did a decade ago. even now, years later, santana is still THE lesbian character that resonates the most with them. she was one of a kind. i don’t know if we’ll ever get another character like santana lopez.

glee didn’t do a lot of things well. they didn’t always do santana well. but when they did her well, it was like nothing we had ever seen before. and it was because of naya.

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look, we give glee so much bullshit bc it turned into over-the-top farcical nonsense but the fact of the matter is that for three days all over social media i have seen hundreds and hundreds of young women talking about how watching santana lopez be out and proud on glee was a formative part of coming to terms with their sexuality. there’s an entire generation of women who watched and who felt comforted by this character and felt as though maybe they, too, could be happy and gay. 

santana did that. 

naya did that. 

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Britney: For The Record (2008)

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How many closeted, confused and struggling girls had been saved by this line? This scene?

Today, Naya Rivera’s body had been found on Lake Piru. Ten years ago, I was a senior struggling with my sexuality when I came across Glee. Santana Lopez was the first lesbian and poc woman I have seen on TV. Her struggles and growth on the show gave me the strength and knowledge that it’s okay, it’s okay to feel scared but ultimately— it’s okay to be yourself.

I know Naya Rivera is not defined by her portrayal in Glee but that is her LEGACY. A character she had helped come to life to anchor LGBTQ+ teens back then. This is a heartache that I will probably never get over, you took a piece of my heart with you, Naya.

I love you so much and thank you for showering this world with your sunshine for thirty three years.

I’m gonna miss you for the rest of my life.

Rest easy, beautiful.

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Dear Naya,

You've touched millions of hearts across the world with your goofiness and charm. Thank you for your portrayal of a gay teenager in a time where this was not the norm.

I can't believe we've found you, today of all days. I hope you're up there smiling alongside Cory.

You were a shining light and I'm happy to have seen you shine on tv during my formative years.

We won't forget about you, we'll always remember you.

Rest in peace, rest in power ❤

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Beautiful, talented, soulful and genuine are all words that could describe this woman.

I don’t care what someone says about me not knowing her. Her performance as Santana Lopez touched my heart. Her voice touched my soul and her laughter made me smile. Not just as Santana Lopez.

Naya’s commitment and love for her fans was astounding. She pushed for the Brittana story line. She advocated for us when so few were.

Sadness, sorrow and heartbreak don’t even cover it.

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Never forget what this scene did for us. I could never. …

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Avan Jogia photographed by Shane McCauley for The Laterals (2019)

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HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY FRIENDS (Aired 22nd September 1994)

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Peter Mayhew, 1944 - 2019

“I’m grateful for the memories we shared and I’m a better man for just having known him. Thanks Pete.” - Mark Hamill

“The happiness you brought to my life through Chewbacca was always enough but to meet you and experience your amazing heart was even better.” - John Boyega

“He was an absolutely one-of-a-kind gentleman and a legend of unrivalled class and I will miss him.” - Joonas Suotamo

“The mighty Peter Mayhew brought such warmth, humour, and humility to the beloved character of Chewbacca.” - Warwick Davis

“We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him.” Harrison Ford