According to GLAAD’s annual study, LGBTQ representation in scripted TV shows has increased with streaming services.
“TV is leading entertainment when it comes to telling LGBTQ stories,” Sarah Kate Ellis (president and CEO of GLAAD) stated in the “Where We Are On TV” report that was released on Thursday.
The study included five new streaming services in recognition of their increased popularity.
The study includes both cable and broadcast channels. It also examines the representation of people with disabilities, people of color, and women on television.
According to GLAAD Netflix ranked first with 155 regular or recurring characters on its drama and comedy series.
According to the study, this is compared with the prime-time programs on the ABC, CBS and CW networks, which include a total of 141 LGBTQ characters.
GLAAD was merely voicing criticism of Netflix’s handling of Dave Chappelle’s 2021 special “The Closer,” which was criticized by both insiders and outsiders for its anti-transgender humor. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, later admitted that he had not addressed employee concerns properly. However the special was still available on the streaming site.
The report stated that it would be irresponsible to highlight Netflix’s inclusive programming while not also highlighting the harm Netflix did the LGBTQ community by double-down on giving antiLGBTQ content the legitimacy and reach of their platform.
Netflix declined to comment.
GLAAD reported that the industry output was reduced by last year’s pandemic. It expressed satisfaction that there were still LGBTQ representations in the rebound. The rise in streaming services like Apple TV+, Disney+ HBO Max, Paramount+, and Peacock has opened up the possibility of more inclusive programming.
These are some of the findings from the report, sorted by platform:
STREAMING
The study found that 358 LGBTQ characters were regularly seen on eight streaming services, an increase of 217 over the number recorded last year. (This year, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon were the only streaming services that were monitored.
The report stated that Netflix’s lead in LGBTQ representations is being maintained by foreign-language dramas. These include “Young Royals”, “Rebelde”, and “Elite” from Spain. They are part of the inclusive Netflix comedies “Never Have I Ever”, “Q-Force,” and “Sex Education.”
In its first GLAAD count, HBO Max, which was launched in spring 2020, came in second. The report stated that the service had “quickly established a reputation for standout LGBTQ inclusive comedy series,” with most of its 71 LGBTQ characters appearing on comedies like “Hacks”, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” or “Sort Of”.
BROADCAST NETWORKS
Out of 775 characters who appeared on prime-time networks, 92 (11.9%) were LGBTQ. In the 2019-20 report, 10.2% was the previous record. The report stated that LGBTQ characters accounted for 141 of the total, which is a significant increase over 101 last year.
It was the first time that lesbians were found to be the majority of LGBTQ characters broadcast. New characters have been introduced to series like “NCIS: Hawai’i” (Law & Order: Organized Crime) and “Law & Order: Hawai’i,” which represents a significant shift from TV’s criticized portrayals of queer women as tragic characters.
The study found that networks have shows featuring multiple LGBTQ characters, such as “Station 19” or “Batwoman”, but there isn’t a single series with a majority LGBTQ cast. Cable and streaming offer several options, including “Pose,” and “Queer as Folk”.
The share of series regulars with characters of color was at a record 50%. This is an increase of 4 percentage points over the previous season. Meanwhile, the number of series regulars with female characters reached a new high of 47%. From a peak of 3.5%, 2.8% of network characters with disabilities were only 22 characters.
CABLE CHANNELS
GLAAD stated that two years ago it had asked TV stations to make sure people of color made up at least half the LGBTQ characters. Cable and broadcast both met the challenge. The report stated that cable dropped from 52% to 45 percent this year.
The combined number of recurring LGBTQ characters in cable shows has increased sharply, as well as the number of regular characters. This brings the total to 138 for prime-time scripted cable originals. This is an increase from the 118 characters last season, but a substantial drop from 215 characters two years ago.
After finishing third in the last season, Showtime had 35 LGBTQ characters.
