Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s smashing success “Glee” aired its last episode on March 20, 2015. 10 years later, “Glee” is more important than ever in inspiring people to be proud of who they are in the face of adversity.
Glee follows a group of students at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio who join the school’s show choir, the New Directions. The show tackles topics that, at the time of its beginning in 2009, were considered taboo, including homophobia, racism, teen pregnancy, ableism, eating disorders, domestic violence, religion and more.
The pilot episode of the show saw 9.6 million viewers tune in to meet the talented New Directions at the beginning of the group’s conception. Viewers were captivated by the incredible musical numbers, the comedic nature of the show and the unhinged plotlines, but they stayed for the lovable characters and their desire to watch the group succeed despite their challenges.
From the first episode, it is clear the students are at the bottom of the student body hierarchy. Rachel (Lea Michele) is extremely talented, but painfully unliked by her peers. Kurt (Chris Colfer) is a closeted, but visibly gay student who faces relentless bullying from the jocks of the school. Artie (Kevin McHale), who is in a wheelchair, is taunted and has his autonomy taken from him often by the aforementioned jocks. Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) is a goth Asian with a (fake) stutter who isn’t taken seriously by those around her. Mercedes (Amber Riley) is a black woman who blends into the background but wants to stand out.
Finn (Cory Monteith) is a musically gifted football player who is “recruited” by the New Directions director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). He is blackmailed into joining, which is only the first of the controversies “Glee” employs. Finn must battle his internal toxic masculinity and scrutiny from his football friends to become proud of his place in the glee club.
As the show progresses, new characters of various genders, sexualities, religions and races are introduced. Each of their storylines includes overcoming their challenges and embracing the community they find with the glee club.
The community they create embraces their differences, teaching viewers that their differences are what make them unique. Rachel said, “I realized being a part of something special doesn’t make you special. Something is special because you are a part of it,” encouraging viewers to value themselves.
The show’s antagonist, cheer coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), torments the glee club, attempting to break the group’s spirit at every turn.
“Glee” provides insight into the lives of many types of people, portraying their hardships and their successes in a way that enlightened viewers who had maybe not been as open-minded before.
Chris Donahue, a writer for Scene and Heart at Northwestern University, said “In general, the way the characters were able to accept everyone with open arms, regardless of their background, sexuality, identity, or whatever other trait that others might use to discriminate against them, helped me become more accepting of others.”
Before “Glee” reached the public’s televisions in 2009, according to Pew Research, only a third of people believed homosexual couples should be able to marry legally. In 2013, when the survey was repeated, 49% of people reported supporting same-sex marriage. The second most common reason for the change in opinion was “I’ve grown more open/thought more about it/gotten older.”
“Glee” is inspirational for people who are part of minority groups, who are encouraged to love themselves in spite of those who root against them, but also for those who find themselves discriminating against those who are different. By seeing positive representation of minority groups, it invites people to take a look at themselves in a way they haven’t before.
By getting to know the characters in the show, viewers can find ways to relate to people they would’ve never expected to connect with. Viewers learn that often stereotypes are false and there is more to people than their sexuality, race, gender identity, ability, etc.
For Psychology Today, Kevin Leo Yabut Nadal said, “Initially discussed by psychologist Dr. Gordon Allport as Intergroup Contact Theory, researchers believed that the more exposure or contact that people had to groups who were different from then, the less likely they would maintain prejudice.”
In the 10 years since the end of “Glee,” many strides have been made for protecting the LGBTQ+ community, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges. However, in the past few years, lawmakers have changed their tune, with nation-wide legislative attempts to hinder several minority groups.
Ohio lawmakers have recently passed a series of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, including one that prohibits transgender students from using the bathroom of the gender they identify with.
Students who are affected by this law might find comfort in Unique, who had a similar experience on the show. Unique’s journey might resonate with transgender students who will remember they are not alone. Those who are not directly affected could watch Unique’s storyline to better understand what their transgender peers are going through.
Similarly, the nation’s rollback of DEIA policies harm several groups of various racial communities, women, the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities, whose employment opportunities will be potentially denied by homophobic, racist, ableist and sexist hiring managers.
Many “Glee” storylines highlight the desire of minority communities to be treated like everyone else despite their differences. This rollback allows employers to directly discriminate against these communities, something the “Glee” characters face often.
As current lawmakers are increasingly interested in overturning Supreme Court protections for these minority groups and turning laws over to the state governments, it is important to remember to have empathy for affected communities.
In nine states, lawmakers have urged the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, so LGBTQ+ protections could be decided on a state-by-state basis. In many of these nine states, the cisgender and heterosexual communities are against same-sex marriage, which is harmful to the LGBTQ+ people living in those places.
In communities with lower populations of LGBTQ+ people or people of other minority groups, people may be closed-minded, which is why representation like that of “Glee” is so important. By learning about these communities and how they are affected by societal hatred, it can encourage people to open their hearts.
In a time of political uncertainty, the lessons “Glee” can teach viewers remain as important as ever. If our society learned to accept people who are different from them through education, understanding and compassion, the world would be a better place.
As Mercedes Jones said, “You’re a star, and no one can dim your light unless you let them.”
