GLAAD Reports Where We Are On TV

GLAAD the premiere LGBTQ media advocacy org has announced the findings of its annual Where We Are on TV report. This report analyzes the overall diversity of primetime scripted series regulars on broadcast networks & assesses the number of LGBTQ regular & recurring characters on primetime scripted cable programming & original scripted streaming series on Amazon, Hulu & Netflix for the 2020-2021 TV season. Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD’s President & CEO stated, “In the midst of a destructive pandemic, a long overdue cultural reckoning with racial injustice & a transition into a new political era for this country, representation matters more than ever as people turn to entertainment storytelling for connection & escape. This time of unprecedented change matched with increased demand represents an opportunity to break new ground with stories we have not seen before & create LGBTQ characters that do not reinforce harmful stereotypes.” Right now LGBTQ inclusion is still enormously impacted by a small handful of creators who prioritize it. Characters on series from just four out power players (Greg Berlanti, Lena Waithe, Ryan Murphy & ally Shonda Rhimes) last year accounted for 14 percent of all LGBTQ characters. This year, that percentage increased with these creators’ series representing 17 percent of all LGBTQ representation (62 of 360 characters) on TV appearing on their 16 series included in this year’s study. This means nearly one in every five LGBTQ characters appears on a series that is tied to one of just four creatives. This year’s study found that of the 773 series regular characters scheduled to appear on broadcast scripted primetime television this season, 70 (9.1 percent) are LGBTQ. This is a decrease from the previous year’s record high percentage of 10.2 percent & the first season to mark a decrease in this percentage since it last fell in the 2013-14 report.

Read New GLAAD TV Report…