In response to long-standing hints and overwhelming support from fans, Glee creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck have finally outted mean-girl Cheerio Santana, played by 24-year-old Naya Rivera.
After nearly two seasons of suggestion to prepare fans for the possibility of a lesbian relationship between fellow cheerleaders and close friends Santana and Brittany (Heather Morris), Santana finally confessed her feelings for Brittany in a recent episode.
While life has been rough for her character on the show (who falls back on a faux-relationship with a football player after Brittany turns her down for boyfriend Artie), Rivera told the Los Angeles Times that real-world responses to Santana’s homosexuality have been outstanding.
“I never thought I’d actually be playing a teen lesbian, “Rivera explained, “…but I’m glad…because there have been a lot of fans who have expressed that they’ve been going through similar situations in their lies.”
Rivera noted the “overwhelmingly great response” to her character’s sexuality and increased prominence on the show, and added that some fans have attributed the inspiration to come out to friends and family to her performance as the lesbian cheerleader.
Although Rivera herself is not gay, she has won accolades from the LGBT community for her work on Glee. Most recently, the California-born actress got the chance to host the GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco earlier this month alongside honorees including “Sex and the City” star Kim Cattrall.
