GLAAD's annual Where We Are on TV report found a record number of LGBTQ characters in the 2021/2022 broadcast television season. The full report examined characters across broadcast, cable, and streaming, with the first-time inclusion of Apple TV+, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, and HBO Max.
On-screen representation is nothing if not a series of small victories. In addition to record high LGBTQ representation overall, GLAAD's research found that the majority of LGBTQ characters on broadcast and cable television were lesbians — for the first time ever.
Bisexual representation increased or decreased slightly based on broadcast, cable and streaming, while trans representation is up overall. Nonbinary characters were not present on broadcast, but increasingly represented on cable and streaming. There are still barely any intersex, asexual, or HIV positive characters on television.
The ratio between male and female representation in LGBTQ characters on TV favors the latter, with women (57 percent) outnumbering men for the third year in a row. This is particularly true for bisexual+ people, who make up 29 percent of LGBTQ characters overall. The numbers swing "heavily," according to the report, in favor of women (124 characters), versus men (50 characters) and non-binary (9 characters).
"The growing state of LGBTQ representation on television is a signal that Hollywood is truly starting to recognize the power of telling LGBTQ stories that audiences around the world connect with," GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.
"At a time when anti-LGBTQ legislation and violence continues to increase, it is cultural institutions like television that take on the crucial role of changing hearts and minds through diverse and inclusive storytelling. Networks and platforms must continue to prioritize telling LGBTQ stories that have been long overlooked, with a specific focus on the trans community, LGBTQ people of color, people living with HIV, and LGBTQ people with disabilities."
GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Research & Analysis Megan Townsend noted that LGBTQ characters tend to appear in clusters on certain networks and streaming platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent production delays in Hollywood marked the first time overall queer representation declined on television, prompting GLAAD to urge Hollywood to do better and work behind the scenes to ensure results.
Broadcast networks showcase more LGBTQ individuals of color, but fewer shows with a queer lead or ensemble, such as cable and streaming successes like Pose, The L Word, and more.
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