The average number of LGBT characters appearing in TV shows has fallen in the last year, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) reported on Tuesday, marking the second year in a row the organization has noted a decrease in representation.
According to GLAAD’s annual “Where We Are on TV” report, 468 LGBT characters appeared on-screen in the 2023-2024 season, down from 596 the previous year. The group tracked 39 non-straight characters on 64 primetime series and 77 characters on cable programming— a decrease of 44 percent and 45 percent respectively since the last report. Cable TV’s lineup of LGBT characters is due to shrink even further next year, as 38 of them are being written out of their shows or appear in shows that have not been renewed.
Transgender characters in particular decreased from 32 to 24, and GLAAD found 72 fewer “characters of color” across the shows it reviewed.
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“GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV study found a number of concerning decreases across the board in the past two years, alongside a changing industry on all fronts which is seeing increased vertical integration and contracting budgets and staff,” said Megan Townsend, GLAAD senior director of entertainment research and analysis. “We know that LGBTQ storytelling is powerful and a priority for key audiences.”
“It’s clear that networks and streamers looking to maintain relevance and brand longevity with the growing LGBTQ audience should be developing their future slates with an eye towards stabilization,” she continued. “This includes multiple season orders, prompt renewals and a sustained investment in inclusive storytelling through meaningful marketing, promotion and production budgets given to new and returning titles.”
Despite the recent decreases, past GLAAD studies have revealed that LGBT representation in the last 19 years has skyrocketed, finding a 1,276 percent increase since the 1996-1997 TV season.
“We know that LGBTQ-inclusive series can indeed be successful, as demonstrated by shows like ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘Yellowjackets,’” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in response to the findings. “We know it is imperative for the queer community, especially transgender people, to see our lives reflected on screen to counteract the misinformation and harmful rhetoric going unchecked by politicians and journalists. And we know that younger audiences are hungry for shows that truly reflect the world around them.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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