LBGTQ Representation On TV Dipped During 2022-23 Season, GLAAD Reports

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read

GLAAD has released its 18th annual “Where We Are on TV” report. It counted 596 regular and recurring LGBTQ characters across broadcast, cable and streaming shows that have been released (or are expected to) between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. This is a decrease of -6.44% from the previous year’s 637 LGBTQ characters.

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Streaming continues to dominate with 356 LGBTQ characters on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, and Paramount+ vs. 141 LGBTQ characters on broadcast, and 139 LGBTQ characters on cable.

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All broadcast networks saw a decrease in their percentage of LGBTQ series regulars from the previous report. The CW remains on top with 14.8 percent of all series regulars being LGBTQ. That is down -2.3%, and the report expresses concern how the network’s changed ownership would impact LGBTQ representation.

In total, 51 percent (304) of the 596 LGBTQ characters are people of color. For the first time, in 2022-23 streaming features a majority of LGBTQ people of color (53 percent of all LGBTQ characters across the platforms tracked). Overall, racial diversity is up on cable and streaming among LGBTQ characters with at least 50 percent of LGBTQ characters on each platform being people of color.

The percentage has dipped on broadcast. For the past four years, over 50 percent of LGBTQ characters on broadcast have been people of color, but this year that number is down slightly to 48 percent.

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There is also a year-to-year decline in transgender representation, with 32 are transgender characters — 16 are trans women, 11 and trans men, and five are trans nonbinary — across broadcast, cable and streaming, a decrease of ten characters from last year.

Potential contraction post-Peak TV and high levels of content churn are playing a role — the report noted that 24% of LGBTQ characters are on a series that has been canceled or in its final season. An additional 35 characters will not return due to a series being a miniseries or anthology format with a different cast each season or a character leaving the series. That includes all eight LGBTQ characters living with HIV on 2022-23 series.

“We have seen with shows like The Last of Us, Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, and more, that when networks and streamers put their full brand influence into LGBTQ-inclusive shows, our stories are successful critically and commercially,” said GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis. “With attacks on the LGBTQ community in political and news spaces, Hollywood has more influence than ever and it’s critical the stories they invest in telling include fair and accurate depictions of LGBTQ people that reflect the humanity of our community.”

You can read the full report here.

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