GLAAD’s Annual TV Report Finds Record Highs In LGBTQ Representation And Racial Diversity On Broadcast TV
GLAAD’s annual “Where We Are on TV” report was released Thursday, analyzing the overall diversity of primetime scripted TV series regulars on broadcast networks and assesses the number of regular and recurring LGBTQ characters on primetime scripted cable programming and original scripted streaming series.The 17th annual study, which covers TV programs airing or expected to premiere or return between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022, found that out of 775 series regular characters scheduled to air on scripted broadcast primetime programming during the 2021-2022 season, 92 (11.9% ) are LGBTQ, up 2.8 percentage points from last year to a record high.
There are an additional 49 LGBTQ recurring characters, for a total of 141 LGBTQ characters on broadcast.In another high-water mark, lesbian characters represent the majority of the LGBTQ characters on broadcast at 40% (56 characters), up 6% year over year.
Gay men make up 35% (49 characters), a decrease of 5% from last year’s report. Bisexual+ representation, on the decline for the past two years, this year saw a slight increase, now representing 19% (27) of regular and recurring LGBTQ characters.As for racial diversity of LGBTQ characters, those numbers are up on broadcast and streaming, but down on cable.For a fourth year in a row, the report found that LGBTQ people of color (58% ) outweighed white LGBTQ people on broadcast, continuing to meet GLAAD’s previous challenge of achieving equity in that category.
After meeting and surpassing the challenge last year, representation of LGBTQ people of color on cable decreased this year to 45%.
