The Look Magazine on Tackling the Lack of LGBTQ+ Representation in the Media

“For many of us, we grew up not having any representation,” said Alina Ajaz, a third-year at SDSU who has contributed to two issues of The Look. “It’s so important to feel seen and heard, especially in media when it’s all around us.”

The Look is breaking barriers by fighting for more LGBTQ+ representation, as many pieces in the magazine highlight LGBTQ+ students at SDSU grappling with their sexuality and identity.

“The world is a lot more welcoming, but so many people are on different journeys within that discovery of themselves,” said Maya Lynch, a third-year at SDSU and a V.P. of writing at The Look. “It’s important that people know they’re not alone on that path.”

Lynch admires how The Look shows LGBTQ+ stories and provides a space where everyone is welcomed. She appreciates how people from all walks of life can work together to create art that helps them and their readers feel less alone.

In her piece “Peach Pits,” Lynch wrote about the feelings of guilt she experienced in her youth because of her LGBTQ+ identity, an experience often shared by others in the community. She shared her acceptance and love for herself as a young adult and reflected on how she wishes she could tell her younger self that things get better.

Lynch described the process of publishing this piece as “terrifying,” but found that many readers told her how much they admired and identified with it, which “made it all worth it” for her.

Jolie Vega, a fourth-year and writer at The Look, said the magazine also helped her feel seen and showed her that “there are people who are going through the same things” as she is.

In “The Friends We Made Along the Way,” Vega wrote about her experience growing up as a transgender girl, her struggle to feel a sense of belonging, and her friends that helped her embrace the most authentic version of herself.

“As a queer person you can feel a bit isolated,” said Vega, “But the media can help normalize (LGBTQ+ stories) and give representation that is beneficial to (our) overall confidence and being.”

For these writers, being involved in the magazine has helped them to feel less alone and the representation they create for the LGBTQ+ community helps others to feel the same. One step at a time, increases in LGBTQ+ representation will make the world a more welcoming place for the community.

Written by Felicity Desuasido

Graphics by Ryan Kaufman