If you know anything about gay representation in the media and TV shows, you know that it is not only degrading and misleading but to put it simply, it sucks. Up until recently, shows were too wary to have any sort of direct gay relations, and even as some began to emerge with these aspects, they were beating around the bush with them or were thrown in hastily and briefly. Shows that finally came out, wink wink, full force with no veil on the gays, were killed off; this is directly referring to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The 100.” Only following these has there been improvements in the media, most especially that of “Supergirl.” In the new season of “Supergirl,” there has been resonating effects and progress made through the way the show dealt with the character coming out, the buildup of the relationship that was presented, and how the show handled all of it. This article contains spoilers on recent, season 2 episodes of “Supergirl”.

From episode one of the second season it has been hinted at that Alex Danvers, the adoptive sister to Supergirl (Kara Danvers), could be a lesbian. Episode 2×06 was able to carefully touch upon the topic while still accurately depicting  Alex’s struggle and timidity to come to terms with it herself. Her sister Kara has minor difficulty understanding Alex’s coming out at first. Now having blatant feelings for Maggie Sawyer, a newly introduced character that aroused Alex’s new feelings, Kara asks Alex if she ever felt this before with a girl; for some people who come out to their families, this is all too familiar. There are those who have to deal with family that only think that their newly discovered emotions are superficial or temporary. “Supergirl” deals with this in Kara’s initial reaction that progresses through the episode into her acceptance and comparison to being a superhero, she does not want Alex to feel like she has to hide this side of her, just as Kara has to hide being Supergirl, because it is who she is.

“I know this is not the same at all, but I do know how it feels to keep a part of yourself shut off, to keep it inside and I know how lonely that can make you feel. But Alex, you are not alone,” Kara said.

In the following episode, Alex comes out to her mother, although her mother guessed it before Alex could even state it herself. She was just as warm and comforting as Kara was. For certain audiences, these episodes of “Supergirl” have provided the courage and strength to come out to their families and to tell them that they are not alone, the episode was so incredibly relatable and realistic in a positive way that they no longer felt dread in their chest when a gay character is presented in television shows and that they are proud of who they are.

“It’s one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen and in terms of representation I think they are doing a fantastic job of showing the emotion and acceptance of being different in a positive way whether it is race, sexuality, or species (aliens are awesome),” senior and Supergirl enthusiast Mia Brunette said.

This previously felt uncertainty and sense of dread is due to the Bury Your Gays trope, this is when a movie or film kills off their (frequently loved) LGBTQ characters. Despite making up less than 2% of all tv characters, approximately 10% of all deaths in the 2015′-16 season were LGBTQ female characters, according to a study done by Vox. Executive producer and creator of “Supergirl” Andrew Kreisberg dismisses these fears in several interviews stating that he and the rest of the cast support this and only want happiness for Alex.

“It’s going to be funny, it’s going to be serious, it’s going to be romantic, it’s going to be heartbreaking,” Kreisberg said. “It’s going to be everything that any relationship that you see on TV, no matter what the gender, should and will be.”

Despite previous burials of gays in shows such as “The 100” and “Once Upon A Time” in which they suddenly thrown in lesbians with absolutely no build-up, televised programs are making progress. Shows such as “Wynonna Earp”, “Younger”, and “Orange is the New Black” are providing this change. People are able to feel more connected to these characters and feel more confident in themselves as a result, as in “Supergirl,” where Alex’s coming out story has already been so widely approved and applauded. Previously having to feel ‘perfect’ her whole life, Alex is now more comfortable with who she is due to her exploring her own sexuality and having the support of her family.  This is how it should be for all that feel this way, and this is the type of message Kreisberg was trying to achieve.